What is Town Planning?

Town Planning, or Town and Country Planning to use its full name, is the system we have for managing changes to our environment. Through planning we can identify what changes we need to make: new homes, places to work, transport and community facilities etc; and where these should be located. These changes are called development. Planning seeks to ensure that we achieve a balance between our need for new development while conserving what we value about our environment such as green spaces, wildlife, historic buildings and places etc. Planning can make positive changes to our environment and communities. It can create places such as cities, towns and villages that we treasure; want to live in, work in, visit and enjoy. Planning is about our future. It aims to balance our current need for development against the needs of our children and future generations. This is called sustainable development. Ireland s system of planning is an important part of our democracy. It can help deal with the different views between groups over development and provide opportunities for people to have their say about the future of their neighbourhoods, communities and areas.

Events

As you know, dublin.ie has been given a recent face-lift. We now have a free events calendar to search for - or list - events, including events such as planning workshops, planning exhibitions, planning consultation events etc.

Maybe you would like to post info about planning related events and exhibitions etc that your organisation is organising? All you have to do is log onto dublin.ie's homepage, register as a user (if you have not done so already) and post or search away!

 

Funding for Planning Projects

What to develop a planning project, but don' t know where to start looking for funding?

Check out the funding tips on dublin.ie's environment section.  This section, in keeping with the Greener City Strategy to increase information and awareness about the environment, provides a comprehensive picture of the different funding schemes available for environmental projects such as planning exhibitions, initiatives and studies.

Jobs

Looking for a job in planning sector in Dublin? Trying to get staff? Dublin.ie is offering a free service to job hunters and employers to search for and advertise job opportunities. Check out the jobs section under environment for current opportunities. Please e-mail your job vacancies to Elaine at elaine.hess@dublincity.ie and she will put them up on the site.

 

Courses

Potential town planning students can find direct links to IPI accredited courses here.

University College Dublin http://www.ucd.ie

Dublin Institute of technology http://www.dit.ie/DIT/built/

Queens University Belfast http://infoserve.qub.ac.uk/

Awards

There are loads of competitions in Ireland and around the world with a planning slant such as the IPI Awards, the RTPI Awards, and the ECTP European Planning Achievement Award 2002. Check out the awards section on dublin.ie's environment section for further information and links. Have a go, get involved and be inspired. You never know what you might achieve!!!!

 

Links and Resources

Dublin City Council s Planning and Economic Development Department

The Planning Department seeks to manage the physical development of Dublin in the interest of the common good and to make the city and its environs as far as possible a proper place for people to live in, work in, and form communities. It is also responsible for ensuring that all those who have an interest in the planning and development of the city have an input to the formulation and the implementation of planning policies. The Planning Department is responsible for the operation of this system in the city through the implementation of the Local Government (Planning and Development) Acts, 1963-1999. The City Development Plan, applications for planning permission, control of ongoing development and enforcement of standards achieve good planning and development.

 

Check out the City Council s website for loads of information about making planning applications/representations/objections, the planning lists, the current Development Plan, the different local areas plans in the City and who to contact if you have a query. You could also pop into the public counter on the Ground Floor of the Civic Offices between 9am-16.30pm (Monday-Friday).

Alternatively you could phone the department on the following numbers:-

Tel: +353-1-6722145 - Building Regulations and Commencement Notices

Tel: +353-1-6722147 Enforcement

Tel: +353-1-6722149 - Applications/Decisions

Tel: +353-1-6722151 - Development Control/Development Plan

Fax: +353-1-677 7780

E-mail: planning@dublincity.ie

 

The Dept of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government

The Department s activities range from the quality of the environment to housing, roads, water and other services. It also deals, in partnership with the local authorities and others on roads, litter, elections, planning and noise pollution. You can find information about these and a whole other range of issues on its website at www.environ.ie

Planning Consultants

 

Planning consultants provide a wide range of planning advice to people seeking the paid services of a planning professional. Below is the IPI s list of planning consultants in the Dublin area.

 

Brady Shipman Martin	01 412 5160
Brian Meehan & Associates	01 676 4522
CAAS Environmental services Limited	01 661 8136/662 1182
Colin Buchanan and Partners	01 669 0820
Diarmuid O Grada BA MSc PhD DipTP MIPI PC	01 288 4629
Environmental Impact Services Limited	01 661 2142/9
ERM (Ireland) Limited	01 476 4977
Fenton-Simons Ltd	01 661 0344
Grainne Mallon & Associates	01 662 0393, 01 676 8277
Jim Brogan	353 1 820 6491
John Spain Associates	353 1 662 5803
Manahan Planners	353 1 679 9094
Murray O Laoire Architects	353 1 453 7300
Planning and Research Services	01 4595916/086 8353222
Sheridan Woods Architects + Urban Planners	01 878 0403
Simon Clear Planning and Development Consultants Ltd	01 491 3052
Stephen Little & Associates Chartered Town Planners & Development Consultants	01 288 8711
Strategic Planning and Development	01 890 4085
Tiros Resources Limited	353 1 475 0004
Tom Phillips + Associates	353 1 478 6055

 

An Bord Pleanala

An Bord Pleanála is responsible for the determination of appeals and certain other matters under the Planning and Development Acts, 2000 to 2002, and with appeals under the Building Control Act, 1990, the Local Government (Water Pollution) Acts, 1977 and 1990 and the Air Pollution Act, 1987.  Further information, check out http://www.pleanala.ie

 

Irish Planning Institute

The Irish Planning Institute is the independent professional body representing the majority of professional planners engaged in physical and environmental planning. E-mail: info@irishplanninginstitute.ie or check out its website at www.irishplanninginstitute.ie

 

Royal Town Planning Institute

In the UK the Royal Town Planning Institute is the professional body responsible for town and country planning. Further info at www.rtpi.ie