Appendix 1 - Development and Design Standards
AMENDMENT V3 – 117
Preface & Section 2.1
Add the following guidance documents to list
- DoECLG Spatial Planning and National Roads Guidelines for Planning Authorities
- Road Safety Audit, TII Publication: TII GE-STY-01024
- DMRB detail be changed from ‘NRA’ to ‘TII’.
AMENDMENT V3 – 118
Section 1.3 Protecting Nature & Biodiversity
Landscaping and biodiversity enhancement plans shall generally be required for new developments, particularly but not limited to those on greenfield sites, and shall be submitted with the planning application. These plans shall highlight existing landscape natural features (such as trees, hedgerows, verges, watercourses etc) to be retained and enhanced, and detail new landscaping and biodiversity enhancement measures including (but not limited to) species, number, size and location of new planting, the provision of swift bricks / boxes or towers, bat boxes, etc. and measures to protect ecological corridors, water courses etc The plan should put an emphasis on the use of native species where possible. Planting schemes shall take account of future maintenance requirements. All landscaping design and management shall be pollinator friendly. They should generally according with the planting and maintenance approach set out in the Pollinator Friendly Planting Code of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan.
AMENDMENT V2 – 119
Section 1.4.3 Noise Pollution
Noise nuisance is defined in Section 108 of the EPA Act 1992 as “Any noise which is so loud, so continuous, so repeated, of such duration or pitch or occurring at such times as to give reasonable cause for annoyance to a person in any premises in the neighbourhood”. The Planning Authority will use the Development Management process to ensure that future development are designed and constructed in such a way as to minimise noise disturbance and prevent noise nuisance. The Planning Authority will have regard to the WHO / Europe Night Noise Guidelines (2009) in the assessment of applications with potential night-time noise implications.
AMENDMENT V3 – 120
Section 1.4.4 Light Pollution
Applications for permission which include the provision of new street lighting or significant on site / on building lighting shall be accompanied by a certificate from a suitably qualified professional in the field confirming that all lighting has been so positioned and designed to eliminate or mitigate impacts on adjoining properties, particular residences (light trespass) or on the night (sky glow).
The design of lighting in new development shall integrate a hierarchy of light intensity zones to ensure that environmental impact is minimised as far as possible particularly in areas proximate to ecological corridors.
Regard shall be taken of Guidance Notes for the Reduction of Light Pollution (Institute of Lighting Engineers, 2000), ‘Guidance Note for the Reduction of Obtrusive Light’ (ILP 2021) and ‘Guidance Note 9: Domestic Exterior Lighting’ (ILP 2019).
AMENDMENT V2 – 121
Section 1.4.6 Waste & Construction Management
All development will be required to comply with the provisions of Waste Management Acts and Regulations;
All construction sites shall be appropriately managed to ensure that environmental emissions are strictly controlled. Where necessary (such as for larger scale developments or developments in ecologically sensitive areas) this will be enforced by requiring (by planning condition) the agreement and implementation a ‘construction and demolition environmental management plan’ (CEMP), which will set out detailed measures to manage waste arising from the construction activity. which should set out, at a minimum, the various best practice construction measures/mechanisms that will be put in place during the construction phase to avoid, or mitigate, the impacts of: construction traffic, waste, noise, lighting, dust, storm water run-off etc, on adjoining residences and properties, on existing biodiversity, public roads, etc.
In drawing up such plans, developers should have regard to DoEHLG guidance publication ‘Best Practice Guidelines on the preparation of Waste Management Plans for Construction and Demolition Projects’ (2006) as may be amended and revised. In particular, such plans will set out:
- Construction programme for the works
- Hours of operation
- A traffic management plan
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Noise and dust mitigation measures
(including details of a truck wheel wash at the site entrance - Details of construction lighting
- Waste minimisation and management plan, including recycling / re-use of waste where possible (in accordance with circular economy principles);
- Measures for the protection of natural features, including (but not limited to) mature trees and hedgerows, protected species, ecological corridors and watercourses
A Construction Manager will be required to be appointed to liaise directly with the various sections of the Planning Local Authority and that should include a biodiversity officer, should one be appointed.
AMENDMENT V3 – 122
Section 2.1.8 Bicycle Parking
Table 2.4 - Bicycle parking standards
Type of Development |
Cycle Parking Standard |
Residential units |
1 space per bedroom + 1 visitor space per |
AMENDMENT V3 – 123
Section 2.3.1 Residential developments
- The design and layout of all individual and multi house developments shall provide for on site waste storage (including recyclables) and composting facilities;
- For traditional housing layouts, this will normally require the inclusion of sufficient space to the side or rear of a dwelling for the storage of waste, including up to 4 wheelie bins (recyclables, glass, organic and residual waste);
- For terraced houses (i.e. those units with no side laneways / gardens) wheelie bin enclosures may be provided to the front of houses, subject to the highest quality of location and design / construction that allows for full enclosure of all bins in such manner that bins are not visible from public areas and do not allow for the emission of odours; such structures must be shown and detailed at the application stage;
- For courtyard type developments and apartment developments (i.e. those developments that include houses with either no / limited private gardens), communal bin storage and composting areas shall be provided;
- In apartment developments, this may be in the form of grouped individual bins in car parking areas or a designated waste building;
- Waste storage areas shall be designed and screened so as not to cause any adverse visual impact on the proposed complex and located so as not cause noise impact.
AMENDMENT V3 – 124
New Section 2.5
Section 2.5 Military Aviation
Applications for development located within the zones shown on Map No. 1 at the Department of Defence Glen of Imaal training area, Danger Area 5 (EI-D5) airspace surrounding the Glen of Imaal or Coolmoney Camp at Knockanarrigan shall address possible adverse impacts arising from the development, if any, on the safe operation of these military installations, including impact on military flight operation.
AMENDMENT V3 – 125
Section 3.1.1 Intensity of development (density)
- Density’ will only be allowed to be generated from land that is capable of being built upon; land which is ultimately unsuitable for such purposes (e.g. due to excessive slope) will not be considered to be part of the density equation even if it forms part of the overall site. Any such areas should be clearly shown on planning applications drawings;
- The density that can be achieved on any site will ultimately depend on compliance with ‘qualitative’ standards such as fit with surroundings, height, open space provision, adequate privacy, car parking etc and the density ultimately proposed should be the outcome of the design process rather than the starting point;
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Where a new ‘neighbourhood’ centre forms part of a large-scale greenfield expansion area, plot ratio in the neighbourhood hub (i.e. only that area forming an integrated part of the shopping / community facilities provided) should be in the region of 1:1
AMENDMENT V3 – 126
Section 3.1.4 Open space
- Within apartment developments, private and communal amenity space shall be provided in accordance Design Standards for new Apartments (DSFNA) (2018) as amended and as may be amended in the future. Care should be taken to ensure that such places receive adequate sunlight and meet the highest safety standards. The front wall of balconies should be made from opaque material and be at least 1m in height.
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Dwellings
(including own door duplexes)shall generally be provided with private open space at the following minimum rates:
House size |
Minimum private open space |
1-2 bedrooms |
50sqm |
3+ bedrooms |
60-75sqm |
Own door duplexes shall generally be provided with private open space at a minimum rate of 10sqm per bedroom.
It will be expected that private open space provided will exceed these standards whenever possible and such minimum standards will only be acceptable for up to 50% of the units in any development.
AMENDMENT V3 – 127
Section 4.1.2 Intensity of development
The Planning Authority will require all employment developments to be of an appropriate intensity, making best use of zoned serviced land, while ensuring the highest quality of development and the protection of the residential and visual amenities of the area. measured by plot ratio and site coverage. The following standards will normally apply, except where other specified in a local plan, or where local conditions require otherwise:
Table 4.1 – Density standards
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The Planning Authority will not permit an employment development where it is considered that there is an unacceptable over development of the site.
AMENDMENT V3 – 128
Section 8.5 Residential public open space
Public open space in residential developments shall be provided in accordance with the following standards:
- Public open space will normally be required at a rate of 15% of the site area – areas within the site that are not suitable for development or for recreational use must be excluded before the calculation is made;
- Where a public park is being provided by the same developer (or by a group of developers in a combined Action Area) in close proximity to the residential development site, the public open space provided on site may be reduced to 7.5% of the residential site area, with the remainder being made up in the park;
- The need to provide public open space in town centre developments may be waived, particularly where public amenity space such as a town park or beach is in close proximity;
- Open spaces shall be attractively landscaped through the use of both hard and soft landscaping where appropriate. Open spaces should incorporate existing features and encourage pedestrian use by suitable paving;
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In greenfield developments, subject to the size of the site, a hierarchy of open spaces shall be provided to provide for the different play needs of different age groups. In this regard, all developments shall aim to include:
- At least one, flat space with dimensions on not less than 20m x 40m, suitable for ball games (trees should only be planted around the perimeter)
- A number of smaller spaces immediately adjacent to dwellings, with interesting contours and natural features, suitable for play activities of younger children.
- The layout and orientation of residential developments should maximize the potential for passive surveillance of open spaces - all efforts shall be taken to ensure that all houses are in visual range of one open area.
- In larger developments (in excess of 1ha), consideration should be given to dedicating part of the residential open space (not exceeding 25% of the total space) to community gardens; at a minimum, landscaping plans will be required to identify a suitable area (in terms of soil type, gradient, light, drainage etc) within the residential open space area that would be suitable for future community garden use by the resident community.