Northern Area Plan 2016
Strategic Plan Framework: Housing Distribution of New Housing (Page 1 of 2)

The Department has applied the sequential search for housing as set out in the RDS to determine allocations for new housing development. The Plan identifies opportunities for housing development on urban capacity and zoned housing sites within the towns and large villages of the Plan area, of an overall scale in each settlement consistent with the seven tests of the Evaluation Framework of the RDS. The Plan identifies a wide range of urban capacity zoned sites in each of its six main towns and the large villages, providing considerable housing choice. Urban capacity sites are within the existing urban areas, and are the preferred location for new development consistent with the RDS. It is recognised that, in addition, there will be a small contribution from windfall sites. These are acceptable locations for housing, generally within the existing urban area but which, due to their character, for example in an existing use, could not have been anticipated as becoming available for development. There are also a number of urban fringe sites zoned in most settlements.

The Plan also designates a settlement development limit for each Small Village and Hamlet of the Plan area, providing a range of opportunities for appropriate development including housing, of a number of units consistent with the seven tests of the Evaluation Framework of the RDS. Within the settlement development limits, a total of 432 hectares are zoned for housing development, including existing commitments and other sites which have not yet obtained planning permission The distribution of the housing allocation is detailed as follows: