1. Joint Oireachtas Committee, 09.11.16
Ireland National Planning Framework (NPF) Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government
Joint Oireachtas Committee,

2. Introduction
The National Planning Framework (NPF) will be the successor to the 2002 National Spatial Strategy (NSS) and spatial aspect of Government policy
Horizon: 2040
Concise High-level, strategic document
Developed in parallel with 3x Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies by the new Regional Assemblies
NPF+RSES will be a strong basis for more joined-up policies and therefore more effective planning, investment and decision-making

3. Opportunity & Challenges
What should Ireland look like by 2040 bearing in mind that over the next 20+ years we must plan for nearly 1m extra people, .5m extra homes and over 2.2m jobs?
Current trends unsustainable – location of employment is concentrating yet housing dispersing, population ageing, challenges public infrastructure and service delivery, ensuring quality of life and international environmental quality objectives (zero-carbon by 2050)
NPF essential to ensure sustainable development as highlighted in Programme for Government, Action Plan for Housing, Planning Policy Statement
To work, NPF must be backed by wider policy alignment of investment, planning, economic development and environmental strategies
NPF to have statutory backing under Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016 and must comply with EU Environmental Directives (Strategic Environmental Assessment and Habitats)

4. Planning Policy Hierarchy, Ireland 2016
National
NPF
Regional
Spatial and Economic Strategy
Local Area Plans/
Area Based Local Development
Strategic Objectives
Detailed Proposals
City and County Development Plans
Local Economic and
Community Plans

5. Experience & Ambition
NSS offers invaluable learning experience previous expert advisory group report 2014 recommended a more strategic and spatial development focused approach and dealing with “hard choices”
Prelim Census 2016 – growth is increasingly happening outside our key cities and towns, tendency towards increasing vacancy within urbans and tendency for development rather than plan-led infrastructure provision and sprawl outside cities and towns
NPF must be different:
Whole of Oireachtas and rolling Government buy-in
Harness each region’s differing potential and avoiding ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ while also not treating all regions or settlements in the same way
Ireland 2040/NPF must, through an evidence-base, establish a place-making vision that people will understand as a “plan” that they see as realistic, responsive to their needs and adaptable over time

6. Key Areas of NPF Work Programme
Project Governance 1) 2) 3) 4)
Communication
& Consultation
Framework
Development
Environmental Assessment

7. Governance and Oversight
Oireachtas
Government
Consultations
Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government
NPF Cross Departmental Steering Group
NPF Advisory Group
NPF Team
Working Groups
Demographic and Econometric Group
Environmental Group
Regional Assemblies Group
DHPCLG Working Group
Additional working groups may be formed as the project progresses

8. Communication & Consultation
Initial High-Level Engagement (July)
Local Authorities and a range of other infrastructure, economy, society and environmental stakeholders
Pre-Draft Consultation (Jan 2017)
National campaign, supported by website
and ‘issues and options’ position paper
Posing key questions, scenarios, options
Local engagement and inputs
Draft NPF Consultation (Q1/Q2 2017)
To enable submissions on the Draft NPF prior
to final drafting and decision-making stages

9. 10 Key Questions What should Ireland look like in 20 years?
How do we ensure that every place can realise its potential?
Where will jobs be located and what kind of jobs will they be?
Where will we live and what types of housing will be needed?
What are the key services that people will need?
Where will Ireland fit in a wider (geographical) context?
What are the planning responses to key environmental challenges?
What infrastructure is required – what are the national priorities?
How should a National Planning Framework be implemented?
What will success look like?

10. Framework Development
Influences
Stakeholder and public ideas
Good examples from other administrations (Scottish NPF adopted by Scottish Parliament)
ESRI working with DHPCLG on
Demographic and Econometric modelling and projections
Development and testing of alternative scenarios
Expert environmental assessments underway
AIRO (NUIM) spatial data/mapping

11. Strategic Issues and Policy Choices
Do we follow ‘Business as Usual’ or Influence a new pattern?
1: Planning for People - Society and Quality of Life
2: A Place-Making Strategy
A Vision for our Capital, our Cities and Towns
Key strengths and opportunities for our Regions
A future for Rural Ireland
Ireland in an Island, European and Global Context
Realising opportunities for integrated land and marine development
3: Equipping Ireland for Future Development – Infrastructure, coordination
4: Making a virtue out of Ireland’s unique environment - sustainability
5: Implementation and Delivery – making sure NPF is driven

12. Environmental Assessment
Key Stages and Outputs
Stage 1: Screening SEA & AA Scoping workshop SEA Scoping Report Pre-draft SFRA
Stage 2:
SEA Alternatives
SEA Env Report
AA Screening &/or NIS
Draft SFRA Management Plan
Stage 3:
Final SEA Statement
Final NIS
Final SFRA Management Plan
Current Status:
Consultants (RPS) appointed to carry out the integration of environmental considerations (SEA, AA & SFRA) into the NPF process

13. Project Timetable
Finalising ‘Issues and Options’ paper and Communications Strategy and would value JOC feedback throughout the process
Pre-Draft Consultation – launch 10 January 2017, submissions to end Feb
Draft NPF for further consultation – Q2 2017
Final draft for approval – Summer 2017
Future update and review to align with availability of future Census data – to commence in 2022

14. Contact Details
Dave Walsh, Assistant Secretary
Planning, Housing Market Policy and Land Management Division
Niall Cussen, Principal Adviser (Planning)
Paul Hogan, NPF Project Manager/Senior Planning Adviser