Draft National Planning Framework

The Government has released a draft revision of the National Planning Framework for public consultation, signalling important changes in policy for the built environment, biodiversity, and the bio-economy. This article from our Planning & Environment team breaks down these crucial updates, from enhanced energy efficiency in buildings to stronger protections for nature. Understanding these developments is key for anyone involved in planning, development, or environmental management, as they highlight the Government's increasing focus on sustainability and climate adaptation.

The National Planning Framework (NPF) is the Government’s high-level, strategic plan for future development in Ireland. The current version of the NPF was published in 2018.

The Government has published a draft revision to the 2018 NPF for public consultation, which is available online. We considered the significant changes proposed to energy policy and objectives in a previous article.

In this article, we consider policy changes proposed for the built environment, the circular bio-economy, and the protection of biodiversity.

The draft NPF remains subject to change. Public consultation on the revised draft closed on 12 September 2024. Government will review the submissions and make amendments. It is anticipated the final NPF will be published in October 2024.

Built environment

New text added to NPO 68, currently NPO 53, refers to “promoting the sustainable re-use of existing buildings and structures”. A new paragraph in Chapter 9 focuses on the importance of property retrofitting and heightened energy efficiency standards for new buildings. This is aligned with the general direction of travel, at national and EU level, towards improving the energy efficiency of buildings as a method of emissions reduction.

New NPO 69 supports the “growth and development of efficient district heating, electrification of heating, and utilisation of geothermal energy”. Chapter 9 refers to the National Heat Study Report 2022 which identified that a combination of district heating, biomethane and heat pumps will play a vital role in fast decarbonisation of the heat sector.

New NPO 82 commits to strengthening the value of greenbelts and green and blues spaces such as parks, rivers, ponds and ‘wild areas’ in the urban landscape. It seeks to “prevent the coalescence of settlements” and to “promote and support an increase in the provision of green and blue spaces and tree canopy cover in settlements.”

New NPOs 78-80 focus on water resource management and flood risk. These new NPOs come under the umbrella of ‘climate adaptation’, the importance of which is emphasised throughout the revised NPF. This compliments the new National Adaptation Framework which requires sectoral adaptation plans covering priority national level sectors.

Circular bio-economy

New text in Chapter 9 places increased emphasis on the importance of the circular bio-economy to Ireland’s economy and sustainability goals. The bio-economy is defined as “the production of renewable biological resources – such as crops, forests, fish, animals, and micro-organisms and the conversion of these resources and waste stream residues, by-products or municipal solid waste into value added products, such as food, feed, bio-based products and bio-energy.”

The Chapter acknowledges the important role of biomethane, referring to the recently published National Biomethane Strategy which sets a target of production of 5.7TWh of indigenous biomethane by 2030. We analysed the new National Biomethane Strategy in a previous article.

The Government is already taking action to support the transition to a circular economy, as we explained in a previous article. It is interesting to see the increased emphasis on the bio-economy aspects of this in the draft revised NPF.

Nature and biodiversity restoration

New NPO 83 confirms the introduction of a National Restoration Plan. This aligns with the National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP) and the EU Nature Restoration Regulation.

New NPO 85 requires planning authorities to act in line with the objectives of the NBAP by seeking to ensure “no net loss of biodiversity within their plan making functions.”

New NPO 84 confirms that the conservation, enhancement, mitigation and restoration of biodiversity is to be supported by:

• The integration of policies and objectives for the protection and restoration of biodiversity in statutory land use plans; and
• Prioritising retention of existing habitats over replacement or restoration.

Nature and biodiversity are already protected through the planning system. However, the new NPF proposals arguably broaden the scope of the protection and elevate it to a higher level, particularly the prioritisation of retention of existing habitats. The new proposals in the revised draft NPF are part of a broader move at national and EU level towards a more strategic and active approach to nature and biodiversity management.

Comment

The changes proposed in the draft NPF recognise the need for a multi-faceted approach to tackle climate change and transition to a circular, climate neutral economy. There is increased emphasis on varied actions across a range of different sectors and areas, from biodiversity enhancement to the circular bio-economy.

The draft NPF is currently undergoing final amendments following public consultation. It is anticipated the final text will be adopted in October 2024. It will be interesting to see what form the final version takes.

For more information and expert advice, contact a member of our Planning & Environment team.

The content of this article is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute legal or other advice.