Save Roscam Peninsula has welcomed the decision by the Office of Planning Regulation (OPR) to recommend the omission of Material Alterations to zoning on the Roscam Peninsula from the Draft City Development Plan 2023-2029.
The OPR was established following the recommendations of the 2012 report of the Mahon Tribunal to investigate “possible systemic” planning problems including those “raising corruption risks”. As part of its remit, the OPR reviews local authorities’ development plans and makes recommendations on these. Where local authorities do not justifiably follow its recommendations, the OPR can request a direction letter from the Minister requiring them to amend the plan. To date, the OPR has requested direction letters on four local authorities’ development plans.
The OPR has highlighted that the proposed amendments made in most cases on the request of elected councillors (See A6, A.11, A.15, A.16, A.17, A.18, A.19, A.20, A.21, A.23, A.24, A.27 and A.29) represent a piecemeal approach to zoning for development, inconsistent with national and regional policy.
Having regard to national and regional policy objectives for compact growth, NPO 3, RPO 3.2, under the NPF and RSES, and to NPO 62 green spaces; to the requirement to implement the sequential approach to zoning under section 28 Guidelines Development Plans, Guidelines for Planning Authorities (2022) to which the planning authority must have regard; to the requirement under section 10(1) of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, (the Act), for the development plan to set out an overall strategy for the proper planning and sustainable development of the area; to the requirement under section 10(2A)(a) and (b) for the core strategy to be consistent with the NPF and RSES and to take account of national and regional housing targets; to the requirement under section 10(2)(n) of the Act to promote sustainable settlement and transport strategies to reduce energy use and to reduce GHG emissions; and to the binding interim target to reduce GHG emissions under Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021, the OPR has recommended that the planning authority is required to make the Plan without the proposed material amendments.
The Regulator also recommended that the local authority remove the R2 Zoning(effectively Low Density Zoning) from the draft plan as it was "not satisfied that the planning authority has implemented the recommendation of the Office."
Save Roscam Peninsula is calling on City Councillors to follow the recommendation of the OPR.