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The Environment

• Introduction
• Landscape
• the Water Environment
• Agriculture
• Forestry
• Extractive Industry
• Waste Management
• Built Environment
• Open Space & Recreation
• Conservation, Heritage & Culture

4.8 Policy on Open Space and Recreation

Access to opportunities for recreation and amenity is an important consideration in determining the quality of life, and is likely to become more significant as land becomes more valuable and pressure from competing land uses becomes more intense. 

Policy ENV 31: Amenity

It is the policy of the Council to ensure that adequate amenity and recreational open space and facilities, including community facilities and centres, are available for all groups of the population at a convenient distance from their homes and place of work.

The location of new residential developments should be accompanied by the provision of communal open space that will benefit the residents of existing residential areas as well as the residents of new residential areas (Refer to Policies HSG 1&4). The use of shared facilities can also serve as a useful means of integrating old and new neighbourhoods.

Policy ENV 32: Large Scale Parks and Amenity

It is the policy of the Council to encourage developers to pool land in order to satisfy open space requirements to allow the provision of large multi-purpose (e.g. parkland and playing pitches) amenity areas as well as small incidental open spaces within housing areas.

4.8.1 Playgrounds

Policy ENV 33: Public Playgrounds

It is the policy of the Council to promote the provision of public playgrounds and parks in all settlement centres.

In making lifestyle decisions as to where to live, many families see good recreation facilities as a requirement of a good town. In order to improve the attractiveness of our towns and villages in North Tipperary, play facilities should be provided so that they are safe, colourful and accessible to all. The Council will support the provision of such facilities in all urban centres as part of the Recreational Needs Contribution Scheme, which will be completed by March 2004.

Much of the open space suitable for sporting activities in the County belongs to privately managed clubs and organisations. Our towns and villages are currently in need of improved open space and parklands. For example, a key objective of the Draft Thurles Town and its Environs Development Plan 2003 is the designation of an area along the river adjacent to the existing swimming pool for a town park.

Development of an appropriate range and standard of facilities for sports and formal recreation will be encouraged. Proposals on suitable sites, which are well related to their local catchment populations and to footpath and transport networks, and are capable of being serviced by public transport, will normally be permitted. The development of built or primarily indoor facilities will not normally be permitted in the countryside, nor will proposals for formal sports and recreational facilities in the countryside, which would require detrimental change to the landscape, or involve activities which would prejudice rural amenity through noise, traffic and lighting disturbance or damage to natural features.

4.8.2 Residential Amenity

Policy ENV 34: Neighbourhood Amenity

It is the policy of the Council to seek the provision and suitable management of LAPS and LEAPS in new housing estates and to implement measures to find suitable sites for their provision in existing residential areas (see Section 8.6).

Policy ENV 35: Residential Amenity

It is the policy of the Council to seek the provision of a minimum standard of 2ha (5 acres) of public open space per 1,000 population in all housing developments.  To meet this standard, suitable areas of land will be identified and reserved for the provision of public open space.

Open space can provide a variety of functions, including passive recreation, active recreation, visual amenity, ecology, drainage regulation and socio-economic needs. It is important that the provision of open space considers all of these needs.

Policy ENV 36: Passive Amenity

It is the policy of Council to seek to retain and incorporate key landscape features such as trees, stone walls, streams, etc. into open space and landscape plans for new developments in order to create distinctiveness of landscape and a sense of identity.

Policy ENV 37: Contributions towards Recreational Needs

It is the policy of the Council to use its powers, under Section 48 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 to impose development levies on residential and commercial proposals, in order to provide for new or enhanced recreational open spaces and associated facilities.  The imposition of such a levy will also be considered where there is a loss of an existing facility to another land use in order to facilitate the possible replacement of the facility.

Specific Amenity Objectives

A1. The Council will carry out a 'Recreational Needs Study' and include specific objectives for infrastructure and facilities, including 'amenity schemes'. Where a need has been identified for a new or improved facility it is an objective of the council to provide the facility, or to support the community in the provision of the facility on behalf of the council. Details in respect of eligibility criteria will be set out in the 'Development Contributions Scheme' and the 'Community Sports and Cultural Grants Scheme. 

4.8.3 Lough Derg Tourism

North Tipperary Co. Co., Clare Co. Co. and Galway Co. Co. in association with Shannon Development have sought grant aid under the National Development Plan (NDP) - 'Tourist Product Development Scheme' for improved visitor facilities around the lake. The Strategy (entitled 'Lough Derg Tourism Cluster' 2002) contains a number of components that include:

1. Visitor orientation buildings, toilet and shower facilities;
2. Upgrading slipways and providing additional berths;
3. Barbecue and picnic areas;
4. Improved information, improved car parking and
5. Lookout facilities, forest walks and cycle routes.

It is an objective of the Council to seek the implementation of the Lough Derg Tourism Cluster 2002.

Policy ENV 38: Lough Derg

It is the policy of the Council to facilitate improvements in tourist facilities around the lake, provided that such facilities:

1. protect and enhance the visual amenities of the lake and foreshore;
2. do not lead to an increase in traffic or access problems; and
3. can be serviced through existing or proposed services and infrastructure.

4.8.4 Private Marinas and Jetties

Policy ENV 38a: Private Marinas and Jetties:

It is the policy of the Council in the consideration of planning applications for private marinas and jetties to require the following:

1. The proposal must be within the curtilage of the applicant's dwelling;
2. The site must be accessed from the dwelling via an existing road, new roadways will only be considered in exceptional circumstances;
3. The proposal is for a harbour/jetty for one boat;
4. The proposal must protect (P)Special Areas of Conservation and (c)National Heritage Areas and shall not detract from the visual character of the lake shore; and
5. The design of the marina/jetty must conform to the guidelines and standards set out in Chapter 8.

Policy ENV 38a is designed to facilitate those with a dwelling situated adjacent to the lake and who wish to harbour a boat. The Council will seek to ensure that such proposals are of a scale and character that does not cause detrimental harm to the amenity value of the lake and the designated SAC.  An application for a marina/jetty must be accompanied by an encroachment licence from Waterways Ireland.

The Council will not favour proposals that include boat housings/buildings, car parking, or vertical lighting. Proposals must conform to the Design Guidelines set out in Section 8.14. The development of private, non-commercial boat berthing facilities intended solely for the enjoyment of the owners/occupiers of residential properties with curtilage adjoining Lough Derg will be considered favourably by the Council as amenities incidental to the enjoyment of residential properties and land holdings. The scale, construction and use of the facilities shall reflect their private and non-commercial nature.

4.8.5 Public Rights of Way

The Council will preserve and maintain existing rights-of-way, create new ones where appropriate and promote their greater use in amenity areas.  In order to link amenities and facilities, the Council may have to seek the provision of pedestrian ways as a condition of planning permission. 

The Council is aware that providing such routes can cause some concern that they may give rise to anti-social behaviour, particularly along unsupervised and secluded laneways. Every effort shall be made to avoid such a situation, through public lighting, appropriate layout and landscaping.

Policy ENV 39: Rights of Way

It is the policy of Council to preserve and protect existing rights of way and create new rights-of-way in the interest of amenity as the opportunity or need arises.

Policy ENV 40: Access to Rights of Way

It is the policy of the Council to encourage the provision of access routes to amenity areas in co-operation with landowners and to protect amenity areas from infringement by inappropriate development.

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