Guidelines published by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage advise local authorities to promote and support housing that would offer an alternative to people who might otherwise construct rural one-off housing.
The guidelines set out policy and guidance in relation to the planning and development of urban and rural settlements, with a focus on sustainable residential development and the creation of compact settlements.
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien said the guidelines “ensure” new communities are designed to enhance accessibility to services, community facilities and amenities.
The guidelines state that lands zoned for housing at the edge of rural towns and villages at locations that can be integrated into the settlement and are connected to existing walking and cycling networks can offer an alternative to single houses in the countryside.
Rural housing
It states that settlements in rural towns and villages with a population of 1,500 or less are not identified for significant population growth under the national planning framework (NPF).
It added that housing in the countryside “should grow at a limited pace” that is appropriate to the service and employment function of the settlement, and the availability and capacity of infrastructure to support further development.
The key priorities for compact growth in rural towns and villages in order of priority include:
- Strengthen the existing urban core through the adaptation, re-use and intensification of existing building stock;
- Realise opportunities for infill and backland development;
- Provide for sequential and sustainable housing development at the edge of the settlement at suitable locations that are closest to the urban core.
The guidelines are accompanied by a companion non-statutory design manual that illustrates best practice examples of how the policies and objectives of the guidelines can be applied.
Minister O’Brien said: “The greater level of flexibility provided for within the guidelines will also assist in addressing viability constraints within the construction sector.”