elphin local area plan 2009 - 2015 - Roscommon County Council

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Chapter 9: Urban Development disorderly. Such a land bank, due to its town centre location, is often serviceable and may provide potential for appropriate sustainable development. Whilst the appropriate development of such land parcels is desirable, the Planning Authority would encourage such development where the various land owners can combine the holdings to form a viable and developable land parcel. In this regard, the Planning Authority would not be in favor of the development of individual plots, a piece-meal approach to new development. The development of larger plots of land is more desirable, as it allows for a more strategic and sustainable means of providing residential and commercial accommodation. 9.6 TOWN CENTRE DEVELOPMENT Local retailers in towns and villages play a vital role in maintaining the rural economy in many parts of the County. The location of small retailers in the heart of a town or village creates a focal point and a sense of community. Elphin requires investment due to a lack of street activity brought on by an excessive number of vacant units. Elphin has the potential to develop its role in supporting the network of smaller towns and villages across the County. With regard to retail policy, RCC seeks to encourage the development and expansion of the retail sector in Elphin. This is to be achieved by promoting and developing the vitality of the existing shopping area within the town facilitating the provision of local retail needs, and the expansion of the retail area. The Council also recognises the important contribution of family run and owned businesses to the vitality of the town and will seek to encourage these. All significant applications for retail development should be subject to the sequential test, with the focus on town centers as the preferred location for new retail development. Where there are no town centre sites available, the next preferred option is edge of centre sites. Out of centre sites should only be considered where there are no town centre or edge of centre sites available or where satisfactory transport accessibility realistically cannot be ensured within a reasonable period of time. It is noted that bulky household shopping is becoming increasingly popular as retailers diversify their product lines to include more bulky items such as flat pack furniture etc. Furthermore certain retailers such as toy shops are increasingly locating in edge of centre and out of centre locations due to the bulky range of goods that they now sell. Elphin has a compact retail and commercial base and provides neighbourhood and local retail services to a relatively local catchment. This serves an important function in providing vitality and sustaining the area. The demand for additional facilities will depend on population increase and ongoing tourism developments may augment shopping and commercial activities. It is recognized that the town requires a more diverse retail base and this will be encouraged. Commercial activities in Elphin are relatively limited. The Council will seek to facilitate the continual growth of the service sector in the town in order to sustain the commercial base, increase business confidence and provide an improved service. 9.7 ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN DESIGN Good urban design is essential if we are to produce attractive, high-quality places in which people will want to live, work and relax. It can be achieved by the way we arrange streets and spaces and how we plan the mass, scale and position of buildings within the landscape. The result is all the things we love about our best neighbourhoods – a clear centre, a place that is easy to walk around and also feels safe, high quality buildings and attractive spaces between buildings. Good design can give us a clear and distinct sense of place in which we take pride. Urban Design focuses on how urban areas best respond to peoples needs. The design of buildings is one component of urban design and development proposals should be of the highest quality design. Design of Elphin Local Area Plan 2009-2015 Page 112
Chapter 9: Urban Development new development will be expected to improve the existing urban fabric and form of Elphin. Whether innovative, contemporary or more traditional in form, design should take account of the surrounding buildings and complement rather than detract from the existing urban character of the Town. Overall building heights in Elphin must be relatively low and in keeping with the existing character of the village. Buildings should address, for example; design, overshadowing, overlooking, scale of existing streetscape, structures or spaces of historic or other importance, views; open space, and micro-climate. 9.8 SUSTAINABLE ENERGY AND DESIGN Ireland is more dependent on imported oil for our energy requirements than almost any other European country and it will take up to 10 years to significantly reduce this dependence. The promotion of renewable energy throughout the county is important both for economic and environmental reasons. Environmentally, the harnessing of renewables for energy production releases no harmful greenhouse gases, reduces local air pollution and produces little or no waste. In addition, renewable energy can contribute to employment generation either directly in the renewables industry or indirectly in the supply industry. Renewable energy comes from natural, inexhaustible sources such as the sun (solar), wind, falling water (hydro), oceans (wave), plants (biomass and biofuels) and the earth (geothermal heat pumps). Renewable energy can also be derived from a range of waste products (sewage, municipal solid waste and agricultural waste). The Council recognises the significant environmental and economic benefits associated with energy production from renewable resources as well as; the importance of reducing our CO2 emissions and our dependence on oil in an uncertain global market. The technology of renewable energy is well advanced and widely available. Grants are now available to householders to provide systems in existing or new housing. The Council will encourage more sustainable development through energy end use efficiency, increasing the use of renewable energy, and improved energy performance of all new building developments throughout the County. 9.8.1 Building Construction and Energy Use The Building Control Bill 2005 is intended in part to implement certain provisions of European Parliament Directive 2002/91/EC on the energy performance of buildings. Following the enactment of this Bill, in January 2007 any new dwelling that applied for planning permission on or after the 1st of January 2007 will require a BER before they are offered for sale or rent. This requirement has been extended to all new non-residential buildings since July 2008 and to existing buildings offered for sale or rent in January 2009. In addition, all public buildings with a floor area of 1,000 square metres must display a building energy rating BER certificate; and proposals for buildings exceeding 1,000 square metres, must consider the technical, environmental and economic feasibility of using alternative energy systems in the proposed building, and use of such systems has to be taken into account, as far as practicable, in the design of the proposed building. Houses being offered for sale or letting must produce details of this energy rating. The requirement that building designs will have to be energy rated for building regulation compliance reasons, facilitates the Council in setting energy requirements for new buildings by giving the means for creating or specifying benchmarks for all buildings based on these national methodologies. Further information on both Sustainable Energy and Design, and Building Construction and Energy Use is contained in Chapter 5 of the RCDP, 2008-2014. Elphin Local Area Plan 2009-2015 Page 113
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ELPHIN LOCAL AREA PLAN 2009 - 2015
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Table of Contents 6.2.1 Architectur
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Table of Contents 10.24.1 National
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List of Tables and Figures Elphin L
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Chapter 1: Introduction Elphin Loca
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Chapter 2: Context and Profile Elph
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elphin local area plan 2009 - 2015 - Roscommon County Council

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