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Introduction

There are four main areas addressed in this area of the website, Planning, the National Spatial Strategy, Urban and Rural Development and Public Private Partnerships.

  • The physical planning system plays a key role in facilitating delivery of the infrastructure programmes and in addressing housing supply requirements.  Local authorities and An Bord Pleanála directly operate the system.  The Department’s primary role is to provide the essential legislative framework and policy guidance while seeking to minimise the regulatory burden and cost of the system.  In addition, the Department provides an expert advisory service on heritage/conservation issues to planning authorities and to An Bord Pleanála. 

  • The National Spatial Strategy 2002-2020 is the national strategic planning framework to achieve a better balance of social, economic and physical development,across Ireland, supported by more effective  planning.  It recognises that regions of the country have different roles and seeks to organise and coordinate these roles in a complementary way making all regions more competitive according to their strengths.  It seeks also to promote a high quality urban environment, as well as vibrant rural areas.  The National Development Plan (NDP) 2007-2013 underpins the NSS objectives and the prioritisation of capital investment in line with the NSS will establish the Strategy as a viable and practical policy measure to encourage more balanced regional development placing the NSS at the heart of our capital infrastructure decisions over the next seven years.
  • Urban Renewal Schemes were introduced by the Department in response to the increasing problem of dereliction and dilapidation which had affected large inner areas of our towns and cities. The core objectives of the schemes were to promote urban renewal and redevelopment by promoting investment by the private sector in the construction and reconstruction of buildings in designated inner city areas. The incentives introduced were primarily tax-based, targeting investors in and occupiers of properties in designated areas. With regard to public areas, the Urban and Village Renewal Programme provides EU and Exchequer co-financed grant assistance to local authorities for environmental improvements to upgrade city, town and village locations. The imaginative use of both hard and soft landscaping has given a more people friendly focus to many former "market squares" and core areas of towns and villages throughout the country. The programme is funded under the Regional Operational Programmes for the Border, Midlands and Western Region and the Southern and Eastern Region.
  • Public Private Partnerships (PPP) have since 1999/2000 represented a further method of delivering public infrastructure and services. The Local Government Sector has been to the fore in embracing PPPs in the areas of water, waste water, waste, housing and local services.

All of the items identified above are covered more comprehensively on this site. Please use the navigation on your left to access more information.

Contact Information

Planning: Phone 01 888 2821, 888 2824 or 888 2895   Email planning@environ.ie

National Spatial Strategy  01 888 2715 Email spatialpolicyunit@environ.ie 

Urban and Village Development 01 888 3059

Public Private Partnership 01 888 2079

Environment Assessment 01 888 2805 / 888 2321

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