Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas

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Planning Guidelines
plan / local area plan. The design criteria set out in the design
manual will also provide a useful framework in the assessment of
applications, particularly in the light of significant planning issues
identified at pre-application meetings.
Taking in Charge
8.8 Planning authority policy on taking in charge should comply with
Circular Letter PD 1/08, Taking in Charge of Residential
Developments/ Management Arrangements, which is available from
the Department’s website at www.environ.ie. Implementation by
planning authorities of the requirements set out in the Circular falls
within the statutory scope of these Guidelines and is therefore
covered by the provisions of Section 28 of the Planning and
Development Acts.
Circular Letter PD 1/08 requires each planning authority to develop
or update, as appropriate, and implement a policy on taking in charge
in accordance with the policy guidance, the main principles of which
are as follows:
• Certain core facilities and infrastructure should be taken in
charge on request - public roads and footpaths, unallocated
surface parking areas, public lighting, public water supply, foul
and storm water drainage and public open spaces;
• The matter of taking in charge should be addressed at preplanning
application stage and in the planning application the
developer should be required clearly to identify the area to be
taken in charge in due course;
• Planning authorities should take all necessary measures to
ensure proper completion of the development in particular
through securing adequate bonds, ongoing inspection of
construction and the taking of enforcement action when
necessary;
• The procedures for taking in charge should begin promptly on
foot of a request by the majority of the residents in the
development or by the developer, as appropriate. Protocols,
including time frames, must be set out by planning authorities
to respond to requests for taking in charge; and