Brownfield sites and town centres at appropriate densities part of the housing solution

Clonmel, Co. Tipperary – 20^th April 2023 – The annual conference of the Irish Planning Institute has started today in Clonmel, County Tipperary. The theme of the two-day event is reform and delivery, with a particular focus on regeneration. The Planning and Development Bill and town centre regeneration are significant topics of discussion over the two-day conference.

Key attendees at the conference are Kieran O’Donnell TD, Minister of State with responsibility for Local Government and Planning; and Oonagh Buckley, Interim Chairperson of An Bord Pleanála; and Niall Cussen, Chief Executive, Office of the Planning Regulator.

The conference is highlighting the lack of planning resources, the growing demands on planning and the positive opportunity for planning reforms. A particular focus is the need to rise to the opportunity that exists to ensure that the next generation of planning will be properly equipped to deal with increasing demands, so Ireland will not only become a country that prides itself in sustainable development, but an inclusive, attractive and desirable place to live.

Physical regeneration will be the key to sustainable development in the future. How we can regenerate town centre lands to accommodate a growing population may require changes to the standards that we plan to and a mix of financial incentives and disincentives to make sure that the right development will be located in the right place. This is not straight forward, as recently adopted county development plans will have to be revisited for new population targets, following the analysis of the 2022 Census of Population and potentially the forthcoming Compact Settlement Guidelines.

The Residential Zoned Land Tax is winding its way through the planning process and will have significant impacts on what development will or will not come forward. Add this to the introduction of the new Planning and Development Act, and there will be significant strain on the planning system for the next few years. Mary Mac Mahon, President of the Irish Planning Institute said: “More people require more housing and in the absence of continuing apace on greenfield sites, we must look to brownfield sites, to bringing older buildings back into productive use and putting living back into our towns and villages. Apartments blocks only work in certain places, so more higher density low rise housing is the model to roll out, developed in a manner that is less impactful on existing residents.”

A priority for the Irish Planning Institute in 2023 has been the Planning and Development Bill, which will lead to An Bord Pleanála, transitioning into An Coimisiún Pleanála. Mary Mac Mahon said: “We hope our submission on the Bill, drawn from the day-to-day experiences of our members throughout Ireland and across all facets of the planning system, has provided some clear guidance in making sure that the operations of the new Act are simple, clear and achievable. We all want a system that works, that is fair for all and allows space for planning judgement. We are calling for a pragmatic approach to implementing the new legislation and urge Government to take the time to listen to those operating the system and ensure a focus on sustainable development and the common good first and foremost and then ensuring that policy and procedure align under that.”

On Friday, Minister Kieran O’Donnell, who is Minister of State for Planning will address the conference. “We are delighted to welcome the Minister to his first IPI conference. He has a big task ahead with the Planning and Development Bill,” said Mary Mac Mahon.

The Institute President further highlighted the positive opportunity that exists to address the resource issue, which has been the subject of the considerable recent discussions on planning in Ireland. Mary Mac Mahon added: “We can all rise to the opportunity to ensure that the next generation of planning will be properly kitted out to deal with the demands placed upon us, so that we can play our part in making Ireland a country that prides itself in sustainable development and is an inclusive and attractive place where people want to live.”

Oonagh Buckley, the interim chair of An Bord Pleanála, is addressing the conference on the challenges facing An Bord Pleanála and will provide an insight in to how the Board will deal with the backlog that has arisen.

Overall, there will be over 250 attendees at the two-day conference which is being sponsored by Tipperary County Council. Of these, over two hundred are in person.

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