elphin local area plan 2009 - 2015 - Roscommon County Council

Chapter 10: Development Management Guidelines and Standards
(9) Proximity to public transport
The Council recommends that applicants seek the advice of the Roscommon County Childcare
Committee, Health Service Executive, and other relevant bodies in the design of childcare facilities prior
to the submission of applications for planning permission.
• In general to discourage the complete conversion of existing semi-detached and terraced dwellings
within housing estates to childcare facilities. The childcare use should remain secondary and the bulk
of the house should be retained for residential purposes.
• In new housing estates, purpose built facilities are normally required.
• Appropriate provision of at least one childcare facility to cater for 20 places in developments of 75
houses, including local authority and social housing schemes in accordance with DoEHLG
Guidelines. This standard may be varied depending on local circumstances.
10.22 NEIGHBOURHOOD FACILITIES
The provision of local neighbourhood facilities is considered essential in all areas of large scale housing
development. Their provision helps foster a sense of community, limits pressure on existing services and
facilities, and restricts the potential number of traffic movements. The need for the facilities will be
assessed by the Planning Authority and will be dependant on the scale of the development proposed and
the existing level of provision of facilities in the area. They should be integrated into the overall design of
the scheme, easily accessed and well designed, and should not impact on the amenity of adjoining
residents. Where a number of developments are proposed adjacent to each other, developers are
encouraged to provide a design solution that integrates the facilities into the overall development of the
area. These facilities shall be provided at the expense of the developer.
10.23 CAR PARKING
All developments shall be required to provide adequate provision within the site for servicing of the
proposal and for the parking and manoeuvring of vehicles associated with it. Parking accommodation will
be expected to locate within, or in close proximity to, the site of the proposed development, and will
normally be established behind the building lines in each development. The minimum parking
requirement shall be calculated in accordance with the standards as laid out in Table 14 below.
The layout and design of roads in housing developments shall have regard to the "Traffic Management
Guidelines" issued jointly by the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, the
Department of Transport and the Dublin Transportation Office (2003):
• Requirements for numbers of car parking spaces are set out in Table 14 below.
• In dealing with planning applications for change of use or for replacement buildings,
allowance will be made for the former site use in calculating the car parking requirements
generated by the new development;
• Where the provision of on-site parking is not possible, the Council may, in exceptional
circumstances, accept a financial contribution in respect of the shortfall in the number of
spaces. This will however be at the discretion of the Council, and is likely only to apply to
small scale town centre locations where the Council has provided, or intends to provide
additional public car parking spaces.
• Parking and service spaces must be located on site so as to prevent road/street obstruction, and
should be located where possible to the rear and side of buildings and in such a manner to
ensure minimal injury to the amenity of adjoining premises;
• Planting and landscaping of all car parks shall be required.
Elphin Local Area Plan 2009-2015 Page 141