elphin local area plan 2009 - 2015 - Roscommon County Council

Chapter 10: Development Management Guidelines and Standards
Bank’ facility. Proposals for terraced housing developments must provide adequate storage space
for bins if external access to the rear gardens is not proposed.
• Bicycle Parking: Well-designed and secure bicycle parking areas should be provided for terraced
housing.
The Council may require prospective developers of housing estate developments (especially in some of
the smaller settlement areas) to submit a report that provides an assessment of the likely impact of their
development in relation to (amongst others);
• Architectural Integrity and historic identity;
• The need for community / health facilities;
• Accessibility to community facilities and services;
• Public transport facilities and services;
• Crèche/ childminding facilities;
• Educational facilities and provision;
• Recreation and sport facilities and provision;
• Environmental, sociological and privacy needs of residents
The successful design of residential development will depend on a coherent and unambiguous design
brief. In dealing with applications for residential development over 0.2 hectares (0.5 acre) or for more than
15 residential units, the Planning Authority will require the submission of a design brief as part of the
application documents. The principal functions of a design brief will be:
• To ensure that the key characteristics of the local context are taken into account from the outset.
• To establish the overall form of the development based on the density and layout of buildings and
spaces.
• To indicate how the layout of roads, streets and open spaces contribute to the spatial hierarchy, as
well as linking the development to the rest of the vicinity.
• To indicate how the quantitative and qualitative criteria, which inform the design have been
adhered to.
• In housing developments containing 15 or more units a mix of house types and sizes should be
provided. Variety in design, within a unified concept, is desirable.
• This may be achieved through scale and massing, roof profiles, materials and decorative details.
In smaller schemes, i.e. less than 15 houses, uniformity in design and finishes may be desirable
and necessary.
10.3.2 Residential Development (Quantitative)
All houses should have an area of private open space, exclusive of car parking. Details of this shall take
into consideration the following DoEHLG guidelines, Sustainable Residential Development in Urban
Areas: Guidelines for Planning Authorities (December 2008) and Urban Design Manual: A best practice
guide (Parts 1 and 2) (December 2008). Good design in housing layouts, the configuration of houses and
their relationship to each other, to open spaces and roads should aim to provide layouts with adequate
private open space and screening so as to achieve freedom from observation and have adequate amounts
of daylight.
The Residential Density Guidelines (1999) indicate that whilst 22.0 metres distance between opposing
first floor windows is an accepted minimum in new residential design, the council at its discretion allow
situations where this is not rigidly enforced. In cases of innovative design where overlooking into living
areas does not occur and required levels of open space are met, this figure may be reduced. A separation
distance of 35 metres should be considered in the case of overlooking living room windows and balconies
at upper floors. The following should also be taken into account in the design of housing schemes:
Elphin Local Area Plan 2009-2015 Page 121