elphin local area plan 2009 - 2015 - Roscommon County Council

Chapter 10: Development Management Guidelines and Standards
10. DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS
10.1 INTRODUCTION
It is an obligation of the Council to ensure that planning permissions granted under the Planning Acts are
consistent with the policies and objectives set out in the Roscommon County Development Plan 2008 –
2014 (RCDP) and any Local Area Plan (LAP) for the area, and the proper planning and sustainable
development of the area. These standards are intended to give information and a general guideline as to
the Planning Authority's requirements regarding particular aspects of proposed developments but they are
not intended to be inflexible. The standards are intended to give an indication of the criteria the Council
will take into account when assessing applications for new developments. These standards and guidelines
are complimentary to the overall development strategy and the individual objectives and policies of the
RCDP 2008 – 2014 and this LAP.
Potential applicants are advised to contact the Planning Authority prior to lodging a planning application
particularly in the case of large developments and those requiring an Environmental Impact Statement.
Prior consultation with the Planning Authority can reduce delays in the planning process.
10.2 GENERAL DEVELOPMENT
Roscommon County Council (RCC) shall look to maintain a clear distinction between towns, villages and
their surrounding countryside, and discourage ribbon development and the non-sustainable use of land and
resources, which means consolidating existing towns and villages. Good urban design is essential if
communities are to be fostered where people want to live and work. It can be achieved by arranging
spaces, streets, densities and scale, that combined, can create a sense of place and community.
10.2.1 Building Lines
The building line required will relate to the nature and design of the buildings being proposed, and the
nature of the layout of the area. The function of building lines in the urban environment is to:
• Provide protection from the noise and fumes associated with traffic;
• Allow for the provision of off-street car-parking;
• Allow for future road development; and,
• Ensure that new development is consistent with neighbouring development and appropriate in the
context of the surrounding streetscape.
However, in certain circumstances it may not be in the interests of the proper planning and development
of an area to enforce a rigid figure for building lines, for example, where the introduction of a pre-set
building line would disrupt the continuity and flow of the streetscape. Therefore, in respect of appropriate
building lines for specific areas and in the interests of maintaining good townscape, the Planning
Authority will examine each application on its own merits.
In rural areas, development should be set well back from the road. Whilst no specific setback is required,
it is unlikely that a development closer than 20 metres to the centre line of the road will be allowed. Where
development is proposed which involves the infill or extension of an existing cluster of buildings, the
existing building line will normally be required to be retained. For high-density urban developments,
buildings will be permitted at the inside edge of footpaths in suitable circumstances. Where buildings are
proposed in proximity to scheduled maintainable water channels/ stream a minimum set back of 10 metres
is required on either side of the channel.
Elphin Local Area Plan 2009-2015 Page 117