Submission from Transport Infrastructure Ireland (Submission No 62)
Issues / Recommendations / Observations
Chief Executive’s Response & Recommendation
1. National and Regional Policy Framework, Statutory Guidance & Transport
Despite statements in Appendix 1 (Page 553), TII observes that the implementation of European, national and regional policies as they relate to national roads are omitted from the Draft Plan in policies, objectives and zonings and the requirements to fulfil these policies has not been addressed in policies, objectives and zonings in the Draft Development Plan. It is critically important that the Draft Plan policies and objectives are reviewed and included in an amended Development Plan which allow the network of national roads to continue to play the intended strategic role in catering for inter-urban and inter-regional transport requirements that will serve Ireland’s economic competitiveness by providing faster, more efficient and safer access to and from our major ports, airports, cities and large towns. There is also a critical need to manage national road assets in accordance with national policy as outlined in: the National Planning Framework, the National Development Plan, the provisions of the Section 28 Guidelines; Spatial Planning and National Roads Guidelines for Planning Authorities, the Retail Planning Guidelines 2012, the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy for the Southern Region, and the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy. Recommendation TII recommends that Chapters 2, 4, 7, 10, 11, and 12, including zoning objectives, of the Draft Development Plan are reviewed comprehensively and amended accordingly to have regard to the provisions of these national and regional policy documents outlined especially the Statutory Section 28 ministerial guidelines ‘Spatial Planning and National Roads Guidelines for Planning Authorities’ (DoECLG, 2012).
The Spatial Planning and National Roads (2012) Section 28 Guidelines centre aro und an approach that the “planning system must ensure that the strategic traffic function of national roads is maintained by limiting the extent of development that would give rise to the generation of short trip traffic on national roads or alternatively by ensuring that the trip demand from future development will primarily be catered for on the nonnational network”. Strategic traffic includes major interurban and interregional car trips. The Guidelines state that “plans that promote compact urban develop ment and brownfield regeneration in line with the Government’s Smarter Travel strategy will minimise the need for travel and where such need does arise, will encourage a switch towards sustainable modes such as walking, cycling and public transport.” This is the development approach being advocated in the Draft Cork City Development Plan. As set out in other responses in this Report, the overarching policy approach of the Draft Plan is centred on promoting compact growth facilitated by enhanced public transport and significant investment in non-motorised transport facilities, including cycle lanes and off-road infrastructure, including greenways and implementation of the Cork Cycle Network Plan. These Guidelines recommend the use of Traffic and Transport Assessments (TTAs) at development management planning stage. Additionally, the guidelines state that TTAs are “used to assess the transport impacts of a proposed development, incorporating any subsequent measures necessary to ensure roads and junctions and other transport infrastructure in the vicinity of the development remain fit for purpose and encourage a shift towards sustainable travel modes.” An additional objective which sets out the requirements in relation to TTAs will be contained in the Transport and Mobility section of the Development Plan.
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