Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas

• In relation to older estates, priority must continue to be given to
resolving those estates that have been left unfinished or not
taken in charge for the longest period.
Monitoring the quality of development
8.9 Quality outcomes are important. Planning authorities which will
have devoted significant resources in providing design guidance for
residential developments, in arranging pre-application consultations,
and in assessing applications need to follow through by ensuring that
the quality of completed developments meets development plan
objectives. The quality of the finish of the public realm is of
particular importance.
Box 3: Example of good practice
South Dublin Co. Council has recorded and detailed the
specifications agreed between the Adamstown SDZ developers,
the SDZ Planning Team, and the relevant Council works
departments in relation to the quality and finish of various
elements of the public realm, such as roads, paths, parking bays,
public lighting, and open spaces. This work is being
documented to form a composite Adamstown Public Realm
Design Guide, which means that an appropriate degree of
design consistency can be maintained within the area, while
avoiding the need to include detailed design matters in lengthy
planning conditions and subsequent compliance submissions.
8.10 Where resources permit, planning authorities are recommended to
review the built quality of selected new residential developments in
their area on an annual basis. Such an outcome review can provide
valuable experience to inform the planning and design process,
particularly with a view to identifying both successful and
unsuccessful design features, and to modifying design policies in the
future.
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Planning Guidelines