elphin local area plan 2009 - 2015 - Roscommon County Council

Chapter 10: Development Management Guidelines and Standards
(c)
Will the development assist participation in – or – access to – arts, culture and heritage?
10.18 COMMUNITY FACILITIES
The council shall seek to ensure that community facilities are provided in tandem with housing
developments as well ensuring there is an adequate proximity to all essential services, such as
convenience shops. Development contributions that have been applied to housing developments could be
used to provide extra community facilities.
10.19 SCHOOLS
Sites required for a primary school shall comply with the requirements of the Department of Education
and Science publication Planning Guidelines for Primary Schools (2000). Provision must be made within
the site for adequate car parking (at a rate of 3 per classroom), bus parking, pick-up/drop off areas,
informal hard surface play area, and areas for organised sport activities. The County Council in
association with the school authorities will endeavour to provide pedestrian crossings, road markings and
footpath provision, where required. Provision should be made in secondary schools for all forms of
organized sporting facilities. School buildings should be multi-functional and available for community use
outside school hours.
10.20 NURSING HOMES
There is a continuing and growing need for nursing homes and in urban areas such facilities should be
integrated, wherever possible, into the established residential areas, where their residents can expect
reasonable access to local services. In determining planning applications for change of use of a residential
dwelling or other building to nursing/elder care home, the following factors should be considered:
• compliance with the standards as laid down in the Statutory Instrument No. 226 of 1993, i.e.
Nursing Homes (Care and Welfare) Regulations, 1993
• the effect on the amenities of adjoining properties
• suitable private open space
• proximity to local services and facilities
• the size and scale of the facility proposed – the scale must be appropriate to the area
10.21 CHILDCARE FACILITIES
The provision of childcare facilities is subject to the Child Care Act (1991) and the Child Care (Pre School
Services) Regulations of 1996, and, any relevant updates. The Planning Authority recognises the need for
properly run and conveniently located childcare facilities throughout the County. It is the policy of
Roscommon County Council to implement the Childcare Facilities: Guidelines for Planning Authorities
(DoEHLG, 2001). Applications for childcare facilities in a residential area will be assessed on the basis of
their impact in terms of noise, loss of residential amenity, traffic generation and general disturbance. In
general, the factors to be considered in determining a planning application for a childcare facility are as
follows:
(1) Nature of the facility:
(2) Numbers and ages of children
(3) Adequate parking for staff and set down areas for customers
(4) Hours of operation
(5) Open Space provision and measures for management of same
(6) Description of cumulative impact when taken together with other childcare facilities in the vicinity.
(7) Impact on residential amenity and mitigation measures, if appropriate
(8) Local traffic conditions
Elphin Local Area Plan 2009-2015 Page 140