5.5.1 National and Regional Guidelines and the Housing Strategy

The Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (previously the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government) has published several guidelines relating to the government’s vision for housing and the promotion of sustainable urban housing, including: ‘Quality Housing for Sustainable Communities – Best Practice Guidelines for Delivering Homes Sustaining Communities’ (2007), ‘Delivering Homes Sustaining Communities – Statement on Housing Policy’ (2007), ‘Sustainable Urban Housing: Design Standards for New Apartments’ (2015), and ‘Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas’ with an associated ‘Best Practice Urban Design Manual’ (2008). The city development plan seeks to build upon and enhance the provisions of these guidelines.

The Regional Planning Guidelines for the Greater Dublin Area (2010 – 2022) provide a settlement hierarchy for the region and housing allocations for relevant local authorities. The Dublin Regional Authority has been replaced by the Eastern and Midlands Regional Assembly which will be responsible for the formulation of a new Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy to replace the existing Regional Planning Guidelines.

The time frame for commencement of the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy will not coincide with the review of the development plan. Therefore, the development plan has been informed by the provisions of the existing regional planning guidelines complemented by an analysis of current data trends including the CSO regional projections.

The Dublin City Council housing strategy contained in the appendices addresses many issues associated with housing in the city, including housing need, the amount of serviced and zoned land required to meet projected housing need, the need for housing units of different types and sizes, improving social mix, and catering for those with particular needs including older people, Travellers, homeless people and disabled people.