Eastern & Midland Regional Assembly Regional Spatial & Economic Strategy 2019-2031
Tionól Reigiúnach Oirthir agus Lár-Tíre Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly 2 Regional Spatial & Economic Strategy
Contents CHAPTER 4:
i Director’s Foreward...... 4 People and Place 42 ii Members of the Eastern and 4.1 Introduction and context...... 42 Midland Regional Assembly...... 4 4.2 Settlement Strategy...... 44 iii Cathaoirleach’s Message ...... 5 4.3 Defining a Settlement Typology...... 47 4.4 Dublin City and Suburbs...... 52 CHAPTER 1: 4.5 Regional Growth Centres...... 53 4.6 Key Towns...... 71 Introduction 6 4.7 Self-Sustaining Growth Towns and Self-Sustaining Towns...... 93 1.1 Vision...... 6 4.8 Rural Places: Towns, Villages and the 1.2 Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly...... 6 Countryside...... 94 1.3 What is a Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES)?...... 8 1.4 Spatial and Economic Policy Background...... 10 CHAPTER 5: 1.5 The RSES Process...... 13 1.6 Regional Profile...... 14 Dublin Metropolitan Area Strategic Plan (MASP) 98
CHAPTER 2: 5.1 Introduction and Context...... 98 5.2 Vision...... 100 5.3 Guiding Principles for the growth of the Dublin Strategic Vision 20 Metropolitan Area...... 101 2.1 Our Shared Goals...... 20 5.4 Metropolitan Area Strategy...... 102 2.2 Vision and Key Principles...... 23 5.5 Enabling Infrastructure...... 106 2.3 Regional Strategic Outcomes...... 24 5.6 Integrated Land use and Transportation...... 107 5.7 Housing Delivery...... 112 5.8 Employment Generation...... 114 CHAPTER 3: 5.9 Green Infrastructure and Amenities...... 116
Growth Strategy 26 CHAPTER 6: 3.1 Developing a Growth Strategy for the Region...... 27 3.2 Growth Enablers for the Region...... 33 Economy and Employment 120
6.1 Introduction...... 120 6.2 Profile...... 122 6.3 Economic Strategy...... 124 6.4 The Region’s Economic Engines and their Sectoral Opportunities...... 132 6.5 Specific sectors: Retail, Tourism, Marine, Low Carbon Economy and Agriculture...... 136 6.6 Drivers for Resilient, Sustainable and Inclusive Economic Growth...... 142 6.7 Capacity Building: Bidding capacity, Shared evidence base, future proof, and anticipating economic structural changes...... 148 Contents 3
CHAPTER 7: CHAPTER 10:
Environment and Climate 150 Infrastructure 218
7.1 Introduction...... 150 10.1 Introduction...... 218 7.2 Integrated Land and Marine Planning...... 152 10.2 Sustainable Management of Water...... 219 7.3 A Clean and Healthy Environment...... 155 10.3 Energy...... 224 7.4 Flood Risk Management...... 156 10.4 Waste Management...... 227 7.5 Biodiversity and Natural Heritage...... 160 7.6 Ecosystem Services...... 163 7.7 Green Infrastructure...... 164 CHAPTER 11: 7.8 Landscape...... 169 7.9 Climate Change...... 172 All Island Cohesion 228
11.1 Introduction...... 228 CHAPTER 8: 11.2 Collaboration with Northern Ireland in Support of an All Island Approach...... 229 Connectivity 182
8.1 Introduction...... 182 CHAPTER 12: 8.2 Transport Strategy...... 183 8.3 Framework for the Integration of Transport Implementation and Monitoring 234 planning with Spatial Planning Policies...... 185 12.1 Introduction...... 234 8.4 Transport Investment Priorities...... 160 12.2 Legislative Background...... 235 8.5 International Connectivity...... 194 12.3 Implementation...... 237 8.6 Communications Network and Digital 12.4 Monitoring and Reporting...... 241 Infrastructure...... 197
CHAPTER 9: List of Tables...... 242 List of Figures ...... 243 Quality of Life 198
9.1 Introduction...... 198 Appendices EMRA RSES 9.2 Diverse and Inclusive Region...... 199 9.3 Housing and Regeneration...... 201 Appendix A Asset-Based Criteria 9.4 Healthy Placemaking...... 205 Appendix B SPA and County Population Tables 9.5 Social and Economic Opportunity...... 208 Appendix C Economic Chapter Appendices 9.6 Access to Childcare, Education Appendix D Environmental Legislation and Health Services...... 211 and Policy Background 9.7 Access to Arts, Culture, Language Appendix E Functional Urban Area Methodology and Heritage...... 214 Appendix F List of Designated Sites in EMRA Appendix G Glossary Appendix H List of Flood Relief Schemes to be advanced in initial phase to detailed design and construction Appendix I List of Regional Policy Objectives 4 Regional Spatial & Economic Strategy
Director’s Foreword
A Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES) is a strategic plan and investment framework to shape future growth and to better manage regional planning and economic development throughout the Region. It identifies regional assets, opportunities and pressures and provides appropriate policy responses in the form of Regional Policy Objectives.
This RSES brings together for the first time spatial Throughout the strategy there are 3 planning, economic cross cutting key principles; policy and provides the environment for • Healthy Placemaking - To promote people’s quality investment, and in doing of life through the creation of healthy and attractive so it marks a significant places to live, work, visit, invest and study in. policy milestone for • Climate Action - The need to enhance climate Regional Government in resilience and to accelerate a transition to a low Ireland. Members from carbon society recognising the role of natural the 12 local authorities capital and ecosystem services in achieving this. that constitute the Region, came together • Economic Opportunity - To create the right as an Assembly to make, conditions and opportunities for the Region to for the first time, an realise sustainable economic growth and quality overarching strategy jobs that ensure a good living standard for all. that benefits the entire Region. In making this Strategy the Assembly is playing a key role in informing new approaches towards assisting in the delivery of regional development. The Assembly recognises the opportunities in the changing Established in 2015, the Assembly spent its initial setup period dynamic in Ireland and the Strategy seeks to optimise developing a comprehensive understanding of the needs of investment in the region and maximise the potential of its stakeholders, particularly across the areas such as place national and European funding. This will be done through making, housing, economic opportunity, our environment partnership with stakeholders and in collaboration with other and heritage and the regions infrastructure challenges. An agencies to deliver on the shared vision of the Strategy and to evidence based approach, to establish the issues and identify continue building a sustainable, healthy and resilient region. solutions, was undertaken by the Assemblies executive team and underpins the Strategy. A vision for the Region Jim Conway, was developed by the elected members and stakeholders to Director guide and inform the policies and objectives of the Strategy.
The RSES builds on the foundations of Government policy in Project Ireland 2040, which combines spatial planning with capital investment, and has been prepared from an extensive bottom up consultation process. It is an integrated cohesive policy document that provides a Spatial Strategy to manage future growth in the region. It is a Climate Action Strategy to accelerate climate action. It is an Economic Strategy to sustain and strengthen our economy and a Metropolitan Plan for the sustainable growth of Dublin as an international city. Finally, it is an Investment Framework to prioritise funding. 5
Cathaoirleach’s Message
It gives me great pleasure to introduce the first Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy for the Eastern and Midland Region, which has been made by the Regional Assembly. It marks the result of extensive consultation and work across the region and it demonstrates the importance and effectiveness of regional government.
At the outset I would like Ours is a diverse region, stretching from a vibrant national to thank and commend capital of international significance through areas of rich my colleagues from heritage and immense natural beauty that support a varied the 12 local authorities tourism and recreation offering. We have natural assets represented on this include the raised bogs and lakes in the Midlands, the Wicklow Assembly who worked Mountains National Park, Slieve Bloom mountains, the bays tirelessly to ensure and estuaries of the eastern seaboard and inland waterways that an equitable and such as the Royal and Grand Canals and the Shannon corridor. far sighted strategy, designed to achieve Our built heritage includes historic and walled towns, world balanced regional class museums and attractions such as the Book of Kells growth across the entire and the UNESCO World Heritage site of Brú na Boinne, the region, is now in place to medieval monasteries of Clonmacnoise and Glendalough and ensure a clear roadmap a number of historic castles, houses and demesne landscapes. for achieving healthy placemaking, climate This Strategy will ensure that we focus on maximising these action and economic opportunity for all citizens. great advantages as well as identifying new opportunities and planning for the foreseen and unforeseen challenges Starting in 2017, we sought the views of individuals and that await us, both here in Ireland and internationally. organisations to build up a picture of what was needed to ensure the future of the people who live, work and lead their This Strategy marks a significant step forward by regions in lives in our Region and indeed that of the generations to come. Ireland and demonstrates what we can achieve when we pull all our regional strength together. It now falls to us to make I would like also to thank everyone who contributed sure the objectives of the Strategy are met and I look forward to bringing the Strategy together, be they individuals to being a part of making this happen over the coming years. or those who work for the many stakeholders who actively participated in this production. Eddie Fitzpatrick, Cathoirleach
Members of the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly
Dublin City South Dublin County Fingal County Kildare Wicklow Longford Council (DCC) Council (SDCC) Council (FCC) County Council County Council County Council Paddy Bourke Francis Duffy Kieran Dennison Ivan Keatley Thomas Cullen Mick Cahill Christy Burke Pamela Kearns David Healy Padraig McEvoy Derek Mitchell PJ Reilly Ciarán Cuffe Robert Russell Brian McDonagh Martin Miley Pat Vance Gaye Fagan Irene Winters Westmeath Mary Freehill Dún Laoghaire - Louth County Council Meath County Council Dermot Lacey Rathdown County County Council Offaly Claire O’Connor Council (DLR) Conor Keelan County Council Andrew Duncan Colm Markey Brian Fitzgerald Paddy Hill Kate Feeney Maria Murphy Eamon Dooley Mary Hanafin Tommy Reilly Eddie Fitzpatrick Laois Pat Hand County Council Lettie McCarthy Barry Ward Paddy Bracken Catherine Fitzgerald 6 Regional Spatial & Economic Strategy
1 Introduction
1.1 Vision 1.2 Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly The Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy is a strategic plan and investment The Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly framework to shape the future development was established on 1st January 2015. The of our Region to 2031 and beyond…. Region covers nine counties containing twelve local authorities namely – Longford, Westmeath, Offaly, Laois, Louth, Meath, Kildare, Wicklow, Fingal, South Dublin and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Councils and Dublin City Council. The “To create a sustainable Region includes 3 subregions or Strategic and competitive Region Planning Areas (SPAs), namely the Midland, that supports the health Eastern and Dublin SPAs (see Figure1.1). and wellbeing of our people and places, from urban to rural, with access to quality housing, travel and employment opportunities for all” Introduction 7