Large-scale Residential Developments (LRDs)
The Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Act 2021, the Planning and Development (Large-scale Residential Development) Regulations 2021 (SI 716 of 2021) and the Planning and Development (Large-scale Residential Development Fees) Regulations 2021 (SI 720 of 2021) are effective from December 17th 2021. As such, proposed developments meeting the definition of Large-scale Residential Development (See Section 2 of the Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Act 2021) are required to engage in Pre Planning consultation under Section 247 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) and subsequently request a ‘LRD Meeting’ with the Planning Authority under Section 32 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended). The LRD Regulations include a form of request to enter into consultation in relation to a proposed LRD.
The LRD Form for SDCC is available here in PDF format and attached to the end of this page.
LRD Pre Planning
The Planning Authority requires the prospective applicant to complete the LRD Form to initiate a Section 247 consultation. In addition, the Planning Authority welcomes the submission of design concepts, alternatives considered, details of the proposal and policy rationale as part of the pre planning submission.
LRD Meeting
Please note that a request for a LRD Meeting shall be in on the LRD Form and be accompanied by the appropriate fee and include where appropriate and to the extent possible —
(a) the name and address of the prospective LRD applicant,
(b) a site location map sufficient to identify the land on which the proposed development would be situated,
(c) a brief description of the nature and purpose of the proposed development and of its possible effects on the environment,
(d) a draft layout plan of the proposed development,
(e) a brief description of any proposals to provide for water services infrastructure, including, in the case where it is proposed to connect the proposed development to a public water or wastewater network or both, evidence that Irish Water has confirmed that it is feasible to provide the appropriate service or services and that the relevant network or networks have the capacity to service the proposed development,
(f) details of any consultations that have taken place with prescribed bodies or the public,
(g) such other information, drawings or representations as the prospective LRD applicant may wish to provide or make available,
(h) a statement setting out how the proposed LRD has had regard to the relevant objectives of the development plan or local area plan in whose area or areas the proposed LRD would be situated, and
(i) a brief description of the proposed numbers and types of houses or numbers of student accommodation units and bedspaces, or both, as appropriate, and their design, including proposed gross floor spaces, internal floor areas and principle dimensions, housing density, plot ratio, site coverage, building heights, proposed layout and aspect;
(j) a brief description of proposed public and private open space provision, landscaping, play facilities, pedestrian permeability, vehicular access and parking provision, where relevant;
(k) a brief description of the proposed provision of ancillary services, where required, including child care facilities;
(l) where relevant, any other proposed use in the development, the zoning of which facilitates such use, including the proposed gross floor space for each such use;
(m) a brief description of any proposals to address or, where relevant, integrate the proposed development with surrounding land uses;
(n) a description of the capacity of existing or planned infrastructure to serve the proposed development, of the impact of the proposed development on existing /planned infrastructure and of any proposals to provide for other services infrastructure (including cabling such as broadband provision) and any phasing proposals;
(o) a brief description of proposals under Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000, where relevant;
(p) details of protected structures, national monuments or other monuments included in the Record of Monuments and Places, where relevant;
(q) details of traffic and transport assessment where relevant and of traffic, cycle and pedestrian safety;
(r) details relating to residential amenity including the assessment of sunlight, daylight, shadow, overlooking and overbearance, where relevant; for existing properties and proposed residential units;
(s) flood risk, risk of major accident and ecological impacts;
(t) where the prospective applicant is not the owner of the land concerned, the written consent of the owner to make an application under section 34 of the Act in respect of that land;
Before you begin the planning application process, it is useful to familiarise yourself with the issues that will affect how your application will be assessed.
Pre Planning Guidance
The following Pre-Planning Guidance Documents have be prepared on some of the common planning application issues.
Document No. 1 General Planning is relevant to all prospective applicants. The relevance of the other documents will vary depending on the nature of your proposed development. You should review all the guidance documents to ensure you are aware of which are relevant to your proposal.
For clarification or assistance on the information within the above documents, please contact our office on 01-4149000 Ext 7161.
Consultations are available only to parties who have a legal interest in the site of the proposed development. If you do not have a legal interest in the proposed site, you must obtain letter of consent from the owner of the lands.
Exempted Development
Pre-Planning Consultations do not provide confirmation that a proposed development is exempted development (i.e. planning permission is not required). For this you are required to submit a Section 5 Application for Declaration on Development and Exempted Development.
