EMRA RSES Executive Summary
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Eastern & Midland Regional Assembly Regional Spatial & Economic Strategy (RSES) 2019-2031 Executive Summary Tionól Reigiúnach Oirthir agus Lár-Tíre Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES) 2019-2031 The Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy is a strategic plan and investment framework to shape the future development of our region to 2031 and beyond. Executive Summary 1 Contents Introduction and Regional Profile ....................... 2 Vision and Key Principles ..................................... 8 Spatial Strategy ..................................................... 12 Dublin Metropolitan Area Strategic Plan .......18 Economic Strategy ................................................. 22 Climate Strategy ....................................................24 Investment Framework ....................................... 26 2 Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES) 2019-2031 Introduction The Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly (EMRA), one of three Regional Assemblies in the Republic of Ireland, works with key stakeholders at EU, national, regional and local level to enable regional development. Our functions include policy making, monitoring and oversight and promoting enhanced co-ordination in our Region. A key function is the delivery of a Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES) for our Region, which covers twelve local authorities and is organised into 3 Strategic Planning Areas (SPAs), which have an administrative sub-regional planning remit. Eastern Midland Region Region Louth Longford Meath Fingal Dublin Region Westmeath Dublin City South Dún Laoghaire Dublin Offaly Kildare -Rathdown Wicklow Laois What is a Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES)? The primary statutory objective of the Strategy is to support implementation of Project Ireland 2040 - which links planning and investment through the National Planning Framework (NPF) and ten year National Development Plan (NDP) - and the economic and climate policies of the Government by providing a long-term strategic planning and economic framework for the Region. The RSES identifies regional assets, opportunities The RSES is required under the Planning and Development and pressures and provides policy responses in the Act 2000 (as amended) to address Employment, form of Regional Policy Objectives. At this strategic Retail, Housing, Transport, Water services, Energy and level it provides a policy framework for investment communications, Waste management, Education, health, to meet current and future needs in the Region. sports and community facilities, Environment and heritage, Landscape, Sustainable development and climate change. Executive Summary 3 The RSES provides a: Process of Making an RSES EMRA engaged in a signficant evidence gathering exercise • Spatial Strategy – to manage future growth and ensure the in the preparation of a Regional Socio-Economic Profile creation of healthy and attractive places to live and work and Issues paper, which was published in November 2017. • Dublin Metropolitan Area Strategic Plan (MASP) – to This commenced the 18 month long statutory plan making ensure continued competitiveness of Dublin and a processs, which included three public consultations, a supply of strategic development for sustainable growth parallel iterative Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and extensive stakeholder engagement. At each stage, the • Economic Strategy – that builds on our strengths to elected members of the Assembly considered submissions create a strong economy and jobs, that ensures a good received along with the Director’s Reports and environmental living standard and economic opportunity for all reports to inform policy making. The elected members • Climate Action Strategy – to accelerate action agreed to make the Eastern and Midland Regional Spatial and and ensure a clean and healthy environment, Economic Strategy (RSES) 2019-2031 on 28th June 2019. sustainable transport and green infrastructure. • Investment Framework – to prioritise the delivery of infrastructure and enabling services by government and state agencies Spatial Planning Hierarchy in Ireland The regional tier of governance in Ireland sits in the middle of the planning hierarchy. The RSES will be implemented in policy by way of review by local authorities of all development plans and Local Economic and Community Plans (LECPs), to ensure their consistency with national and regional policy. Key state agencies and sectoral bodies will also have to consider their strategies and investment plans in light of the adoption of the RSES. Local Regional Government Government Assembly Department LAP, UAP City & County Regional & Spatial Economic Project Ireland 2040 or SDZ Development Plans Strategy RSES/MASP NPF/NDP Local Economic and Other regional plans and Economic and other Community Plans programmes i.e. government policies e.g. Regional Enterprise Strategies Climate Action Plan 4 Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES) 2019-2031 A Young, Diverse and Growing Region The Region is the smallest in land area of the three Irish Regions but the largest in population size, with over 2.3 million people. The main settlement is the capital city of Dublin, which is supported by a network of regional and county towns and an extensive rural hinterland. Our people are our greatest asset and the Region is home to some of the youngest, most diverse and fastest growing communities in the country. The provision of childcare, education and health services and access to quality jobs, housing, travel options and amenities - to meet both the current and future needs of our people - will be key to achieving good quality of life in the Region. Between 2006 to 2016 the Region grew by 15%, an increase of over 300,000 people, and this population growth is Changing Demographic Profile – Age Structure 2016 to 2031 Source: CSO set to continue over the lifetime of the RSES. However growth varied significantly across the Region, with higher growth in the areas surrounding Dublin and some of our large towns, while other parts of our Region - including EMRA Age Profile (CSO, 2016) urban centres as well as more remote areas - experienced population decline. Some rural areas are also facing challenges ranging from urban generated pressures to an ageing population, changes to economic structure, and lack of access to infrastructure and new technologies. Laois 65 + years and Fingal were the fastest growing counties, with ten year 12% 0-14 years growth rates of 26% and 23% respectively to 2016. 21% The region is young and diverse, with 1 in 5 people under 14 years of age and more than 1 in 8 residents who are non- 45-64 years Irish nationals. By 2031 there will be a significant increase 15-24 years 23% in people over 65 years of age and a key challenge will be to 12% ensure positive health outcomes and a good quality of life for our older people. There will also be an increase in the 15-24 year age cohort and a continued long term trend towards smaller and one person households. Population growth 25-44 years and changing demographics will require careful planning to 32% meet the changing needs of our older people, for children, families and young people, and to support the integration of migrants and address social exclusion and isolation. Executive Summary 5 An Economic Engine The Eastern and Midland Region is the primary economic engine of the state, home to the capital city, with nearly half the Country’s population and more than 1 million jobs. While the RSES seeks to plan for jobs growth and economic development across the Region, new and unexpected opportunities for enterprise development are also likely to arise during the lifetime of the strategy, based on local strengths, assets and resources, and underpinned by the quality of life offering. Midland Region Eastern Region Dublin Region Louth Longford Fingal Meath Westmeath 292,300 688,900 1,347,400 Offally 44 persons 100 persons Dublin 1,455 persons Kildare +16.1% +17.4% City +13.5% (40,600) (102,200) (160,200) South Dublin Laois Wicklow Dún Laoghaire- Rathdown Population 2016 Population Density per km Population Change 2000-2016 The Midlands is a dynamic region, The Eastern counties enjoy proximity The Dublin region is a global gateway centrally located in the heart to Dublin with good international to Ireland and the Dublin-Belfast of Ireland with a high-quality and national connectivity, and a Corridor is the largest economic environment and quality of life strong track record of attracting agglomeration on the island of and unparalleled connectivity to large sale and second site foreign Ireland and part of the trans- national transport networks. direct investments (FDI). European transport network. The Midlands has strong concentrations The Eastern SPA has a well educated Dublin is the State’s only city of of foreign and Irish owned companies labour force, a number of third level global scale, with access to national in manufacturing - predominately in and research institutes and strong and international markets through medical devices, pharma/bio, food and manufacturing, technology and Dublin Airport and Port, a varied engineered products, and is strategically pharmaceutical sectors, with potential enterprise base, vibrant arts and located with excellent access to to develop food, maritime, equine, film culture and a young well-educated national road and rail networks, and and creative industries and to leverage population. The concentration of a third level institute in Athlone.