CORK County Development Plan 2003 VOLUME 1 Overall Strategy and 1 Main Policy Material Overall Strategy and Main Policy Material Layout of Volume 1: Overall Strategy and Main Policy Material Volume 1: Foreword Overall Strategy & Main Contents Policy Material Sets out the general objectives of 1. Introduction to the Development Plan the Development Plan under a range of headings together with 2. Overall Strategy the planning principles that underpin them. 3. Settlement Policy 4. Employment and Economic Activity Volume 2: 5. Transport and Infrastructure Specific Objectives: Heritage and Amenity 6. Housing and Community Facilities Sets out, in detail, a range of 7. Environment and Heritage specific heritage and amenity objectives of the Development Plan, with particular attention to 8. Rural, Coastal and Islands the Record of Protected Structures. 9. Land Use Zoning 10. Local Area Development Volume 3: 11. Strategic Environmental Assessment Specific Zoning Objectives: Main Settlements Sets out the specific zoning objectives for 31 main settlements Appendices in County Cork. The overall zoning approach as well as general A. Housing Strategy context material is given for each settlement. B. List of Places C. Glossary of Terms used in this Plan Volume 4: Maps The map volume contains six main sets of maps: Heritage & Scenic Amenity; Metropolitan Cork Green Belt; Rural Housing Control Zone; Landscape Character Areas and Types Map; Architectural Conservation Areas and Zoning Maps for the 31 Main Settlements. CORK County Development Plan Issue 1: February 2003 2003 1 Overall Strategy and Main Policy Material Contents of Volume 1 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN 1 1.1 A new County Development Plan 2 Making the new plan 2 Purpose of the plan 2 Monitoring and Progress 3 1.2 The Process that has been followed 3 Initial Submissions 3 Planning Issues and Themes 4 Preparing the Draft Plan 6 Amending the Draft Plan 6 1.3 Form and Content of the Development Plan 7 Written Statement and Maps 7 Supplementary Documents and Plans 8 CHAPTER 2: OVERALL STRATEGY 11 2.1 Growth and Development in County Cork 12 General Context 12 Population trends and forecasts 13 2.2 Main Planning Goals 16 2.3 Strategic Development Principles 17 Strategic Principles – Settlement Policy 17 Strategic Principles – Employment and Economic Activity 18 Strategic Principles – Transport and Infrastructure 18 Strategic Principles – Housing and Community Facilities 19 Strategic Principles – Environment and Heritage 19 Strategic Principles – Rural, Coastal and Islands 20 Strategic Principles – Land Use and Zoning 20 Strategic Principles – Local Area Development 21 2.4 Overall Strategy – Key Elements 22 CORK Issue 1: February 2003 County Development Plan viii 2003 Overall Strategy and Main Policy Material 2.5 Strategic Aims for the Main Settlements 25 CHAPTER 3: SETTLEMENT POLICY 33 3.1 Network of Settlements 34 Metropolitan Cork and the settlements within it 34 The Network of Settlements outside Metropolitan Cork 36 3.2 Green Belts – Preserving the Identity of Settlements 38 The Planning Principles of a Green Belt 38 The Metropolitan Cork Green Belt 39 Green Belts around other towns 42 3.3 Developing and Sustaining Rural Communities 43 The importance of rural villages 43 Pressure for urban housing in rural areas 45 The needs of rural communities 47 Special Requirements in Scenic and Coastal Areas 48 Implementing and Monitoring the Settlement Policy 48 CHAPTER 4: EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC ACTIVITY 51 4.1 Land Use and Economic Development in County Cork 52 4.2 Industry and Enterprise 54 Industry 54 Enterprise 60 4.3 Retail and Commerce Development 61 Retail and the Retail Strategy 61 Commerce 63 4.4 Tourism Development 65 4.5 Agriculture, Fisheries, Mineral Extraction and Forestry 68 Agriculture 68 Fisheries 69 Mineral Extraction 69 CORK County Development Plan Issue 1: February 2003 2003 ix Overall Strategy and Main Policy Material Forestry 70 CHAPTER 5: TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURE 73 5.1 Transport 74 Integrated Transportation and Land Use 74 Public Transport 75 Road Network 79 Cyclists, Pedestrians and Rights of Way 82 Ports and Airports 83 5.2 Water Supplies, Sewerage and Drainage 86 Serviced Land Initiative 86 Water Supplies 86 Sewerage 89 Surface Water Drainage 90 5.3 Waste Recovery and Recycling 92 5.4 Energy and Telecommunications 94 Energy Networks 94 Renewable Energy 94 Telecommunications 98 CHAPTER 6: HOUSING AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES 99 6.1 Housing: Overall Approach 100 Housing Strategy 100 6.2 Housing Density and the Supply of Residential Land 101 Housing Density 102 Sufficiency of Zoned Lands for Housing 105 6.3 Meeting Housing Needs 109 Social and Affordable Housing 109 House Types and Sizes 112 Accommodation for Travellers 113 CORK Issue 1: February 2003 County Development Plan x 2003 Overall Strategy and Main Policy Material Student Accommodation 114 6.4 Community Facilities 115 Leisure Facilities 115 Childcare Facilities 117 Healthcare Facilities 118 CHAPTER 7: ENVIRONMENT AND HERITAGE 121 7.1 Environmental Quality 122 Water Quality 122 Noise and Light Emissions 125 7.2 The Natural Environment 126 Nature Conservation Generally 126 Protected Nature Conservation Sites 127 Trees and Tree Protection 129 Areas of Geological Interest 130 Management of sensitive sites 130 7.3 Landscape & Visual Amenity 131 Landscape Character 131 Scenic Amenity, Views and Prospects 133 7.4 Archaeological Heritage 135 7.5 The Built Environment 137 Protection of Structures 137 Architectural Conservation Areas 139 New Buildings and their Surroundings 140 7.6 Cultural Heritage 142 The Heritage Plan 142 Naming of New Developments 142 The Gaeltacht and Linguistic Heritage 142 CHAPTER 8: RURAL, COASTAL AND ISLANDS 145 8.1 Rural County Cork 146 8.2 Coastal Areas 148 CORK County Development Plan Issue 1: February 2003 2003 xi Overall Strategy and Main Policy Material 8.3 Islands 151 CHAPTER 9: LAND USE AND ZONING 155 9.1 Overall Approach to Land Use and Zoning 156 9.2 General Land Use Objectives 159 9.3 Primary Land Use Categories 162 Residential Areas 162 Town Centres , Neighbourhood Centres and Other Centres 165 Commercial Areas 168 Industry and Enterprise Areas 170 Educational, Institutional and Civic Land Uses 172 Utilities and Infrastructure Uses 173 Open Space, Sports, Recreation and Amenity Areas 174 Special Zoning Designations 175 CHAPTER 10: LOCAL AREA DEVELOPMENT 177 10.1 Planning for Local Areas 178 10.2 County Policy at a Local Level 180 10.3 Schedule of Local Area Plans (Electoral Areas) 182 10.4 Other (Special) Local Area Plans 192 CHAPTER 11: STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF THE PLAN 193 11.1 Introduction to Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) 194 11.2 The SEA process for this Development Plan 195 Environmental Aims 195 11.3 Assessment of Main Planning Goals and Strategic Development Principles 196 APPENDIX A: HOUSING STRATEGY 209 APPENDIX B: LIST OF PLACES 221 APPENDIX C: GLOSSARY OF TERMS USED IN THIS PLAN 235 CORK Issue 1: February 2003 County Development Plan xii 2003 Chapter 2 Overall Strategy his chapter presents the proposed medium term Tdevelopment strategy for County Cork i.e. up to around the year 2011. It draws on recommendations from the Cork Area Strategic Plan (2001-2021) and the North and West Cork Strategic Plan (2002-2021). The main planning goals that underpin the strategy are 2.1 Growth and Development in to achieve: County Cork a. Enhanced quality of life for all, based on high 2.2 Main Planning Goals quality residential, working and recreational environments and sustainable transportation 2.3 Strategic Development patterns; Principles b. Sustainable patterns of growth in urban and 2.4 Overall Strategy - Key rural areas that are well balanced throughout the Elements county, together with efficient provision of social and physical infrastructure; 2.5 Strategic Aims for the Main Settlements c. Sustainable and balanced economic investment together with wise management of the county's environmental and cultural assets; d. Responsible guardianship of the county so that it can be handed on to future generations in a healthy state. CORK County Development Plan Issue 1: February 2003 2003 11 Chapter 2. Overall Strategy Overall Strategy and Main Policy Material 2.1 Growth and Development in County Cork 2.1.1 Cork is the largest county in Ireland with a total area of 7,454 km² and a coastline of over 1,100 km. The County lies within the South West Regional Authority area. There are also twelve town councils within the County (nine of which produce their own statutory development plan). General Context 2.1.2 The census population of the County in 1996 (excluding the Cork City Council area) was 293,323 and preliminary census returns for 2002 indicate that this has now risen to around 325,000. Indications are that by 2011, the population may increase to over 365,000 (see Section 2.2 below). 2.1.3 Although this is a significant population growth it should not be County Cork assumed that healthy growth will occur in a balanced way right across the County. Up to 1996 (the last fully completed census) the rural areas, particularly in North and West Cork, came across as being relatively weak in terms of both population numbers and age structure. This trend is likely to have significant implications for regeneration of the rural population and the rural economy unless it is redressed. 2.1.4 Otherwise, the County is characterised by a strong concentration of development around the City itself, the satellite towns on the edge of the long established City green belt and a number of prime industrial/enterprise locations around Cork Harbour including one of the largest concentrations of pharmaceutical industries in the world. 2.1.5 County Cork’s economy has performed quite well in comparison to the national average in recent years. Taken as a whole the economy is remarkably diverse and balanced, without over-reliance on a single sector.