Planning and Development Act 2024
|
Chapter 2 National Planning Framework | ||
|
National Planning Framework | ||
|
21. (1) The Government shall prepare and publish a document to be known as the National Planning Framework. | ||
(2) The National Planning Framework shall contain a statement setting out the Government’s national plan in relation to the strategic planning and sustainable development of the State and shall include policies and proposals for the furtherance of the following objectives: | ||
(a) securing national and regional development strategies, including maximising the potential of the regions; | ||
(b) supporting proper planning and sustainable development in urban and rural areas; | ||
(c) supporting the circular economy (within the meaning of section 6 of the Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2022 ); | ||
(d) securing the coordination of regional spatial and economic strategies and development plans; | ||
(e) providing for land-sea interactions and securing coordination with the National Marine Planning Framework; | ||
(f) the integration of the pursuit and achievement of the national climate objective and National Biodiversity Action Plan into plan-led development in the State. | ||
(3) The National Planning Framework shall make provision for the following matters: | ||
(a) identification of nationally strategic development requirements as respects cities, towns and rural areas in relation to employment, future population change, and associated housing, commercial and public infrastructure; | ||
(b) indication of national infrastructure priorities linked to the strategic development requirements referred to in paragraph (a), and in particular such priorities as relate to— | ||
(i) transportation (including public transportation), | ||
(ii) water services, | ||
(iii) waste management, | ||
(iv) energy and communications networks, and | ||
(v) the provision of educational, healthcare, retail, cultural and recreational facilities; | ||
(c) promotion of sustainable settlement patterns and transportation strategies in urban and rural areas, including the promotion of measures to— | ||
(i) reduce anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, | ||
(ii) take account of the need to adapt to and mitigate climate change, and | ||
(iii) achieve the national climate objective; | ||
(d) conservation of the environment and its amenities, including— | ||
(i) landscape, | ||
(ii) ecology, | ||
(iii) biodiversity, and | ||
(iv) archaeological, architectural and natural heritage; | ||
(e) land-sea interactions and the promotion of coordination of development between the terrestrial and marine sectors; | ||
(f) designation of regional growth centres. | ||
(4) In making provision under paragraph (e) of subsection (3), the Government shall have regard to the National Marine Planning Framework. | ||
(5) The Government shall take such steps as are necessary to ensure that the National Planning Framework in effect at any given time makes provision for a period in the future of not less than 10 years and not more than 20 years from the coming into effect of the framework, which period shall be specified in the National Planning Framework. | ||
(6) Notwithstanding subsections (2) and (3) and the repeal of section 20A of the Act of 2000 effected by section 6 , the National Planning Framework under that section that was in force immediately before such repeal shall— | ||
(a) continue in force for the period that it would have continued in force but for such repeal, | ||
(b) be deemed to be the first National Planning Framework made under subsection (1), and | ||
(c) be reviewed in accordance with section 22 . |