Amendments to draft Portmarnock Local Area Plan

Amendments to the draft Portmarnock Local Area Plan from Cllrs. David Healy, Robbie Kelly and Joe Corr, to be taken at the Council meeting on 8th May.  The area the plan relates to is at the north end of the Green belt between Baldoyle and Portmarnock, beside Portmarnock train station.
MOTION NO. 1

That the following be included in the draft Local Area Plan:

Approach

Fingal County Council is committed as a priority to encouraging more sustainable development through energy end use efficiency, and increasing the use of renewable energy, in all new building projects in the designated area within the Portmarnock Local Area Plan.  

It will achieve this by:

·         Encouraging responsible environmental management in construction
·         Promoting sustainable approaches to housing developments by spatial planning, layout, design and detailed specification
·         Ensuring high standards of energy efficiency in all housing developments under its remit, and encouraging developers, owners, and tenants to improve the environmental performance of the building stock, including the deployment of renewable energy
·         For housing, specifically applying an improvement of 60% relative to prevailing norms as represented by the Building Regulations Part L
·         For other buildings, specifically applying an improvement of 60% relative to prevailing norms as represented by the Building Regulations Part L
·         Anticipating the operational implementation of the EU Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings (EPBD) by encouraging the energy rating and labelling of building energy performance, so as to give visible recognition to such improvements.

The specific approach proposed for developers is to set a target, accompanied by a menu of design and technology options, including renewable energy technologies, as a means of offering flexibility towards meeting that target in the most technically and economically feasible manner on a case by case basis.

As an initial step towards achieving greater environment sustainability, Fingal County Council is proposing the introduction of a performance based CO2 Emissions Target (CET) for new buildings being constructed within the Portmarnock Local Area Plan.  

Targets

All new buildings within the designated area will represent a significant improvement in energy and associated environmental performance relative to prevailing practice.  The following conditions apply:

Housing:

A collective average reduction of at least 60% in CO2 emissions deriving from energy usage for space and water heating within the housing development, relative to a baseline of prevailing regulatory and design practice.  This initial baseline of comparison is to be represented by the provisions of Technical Guidance Document L (TGD L) to the Building Regulations, 2002 using a conventional gas fired heating boiler with an assumed seasonal efficiency of 75%.  The calculation is to be carried out for the time being using the Heat Energy Rating Method in TGD L, pending adoption of the official national methodology for determining energy performance of housing for the purposes of the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD).

In meeting this CO2 performance target, the development shall include:
·         A collective average reduction of at least 60% in energy consumption for space and water heating , relative to the baseline of existing regulatory and design practice and using the methodology outlined above; and
·         A contribution of 30% by renewable energy supply systems to meet the collective space and water heating requirements within the housing development.  

Non-residential:

A collective reduction of at least 60% in CO2 emissions deriving from total energy usage (space heating, water heating, lighting, other) arising from all services within the development, relative to a baseline of existing regulatory and design practice.  This initial baseline of comparison is to be represented by the provisions of TGD L to the Building Regulations, 2006.  In the absence of an official national methodology for determining the energy performance of non-domestic buildings, this calculation is to be carried out using a method compliant with the draft European Standard prEN 13790.

In meeting this CO2 performance target, the development shall include:
·         A collective average reduction of at least 60% in energy consumption for all services , relative to the baseline of existing regulatory and design practice and using a methodology as outlined above; and
·         A contribution of 30% by renewable energy supply systems to meet the collective energy requirements within the development.  

To illustrate the above, using the Heat Energy Rating methodology, the baseline energy performance of new housing is typically 125 kWh/m2/year for space and water heating when constructed to the minimum requirements of Building Regulations, 2002, and using a boiler with a seasonal efficiency of 75%.  This translates into a CO2 performance of 23.7 kg/m2/year using a gas fired heating system.

Fingal County Council requires that new housing developments should achieve a 60% reduction in CO2 emissions associated with space and water heating (i.e. to below 9.5 kg/m2/year), which must include a reduction in energy use for this purpose (i.e. to below 50 kWh/ m2/year) and a contribution of at least 30% by renewable energy systems to meet the collective space and water heating requirements within the development.

Menu of options

In pursuit of these targets, a strong menu of superior design and specification options will include the following:

·                     Site layout and associated bio-climatic/ passive solar design measures
·                     Enhanced levels of insulation in walls, roofs, floors, glazing and doors
·                     Reduced uncontrolled air infiltration losses
·                     Use of healthy and controllable ventilation systems
·                     Heat recovery systems
·                     Use of daylight
·                     Water conservation measures
·                     More sustainable building materials
·                     Improved heat generation appliance efficiency, e.g. condensing boilers
·                     Intelligent heating system configuration and time/ temperature/ zone/ function controls
·                     Efficient provision of domestic hot water
·                     Fuel switching to low or zero CO2 emitting fuels
·                     Energy efficient lighting systems
·                     Incorporation of renewable energy systems, e.g. active solar, heat pumps, biomass
·                     Provision of appropriate group or district heating systems.

In the case of non-domestic buildings, additional options include:

·                     Heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems and controls
·                     Electrical energy use including motive power
·                     Efficient lighting systems and controls
·                     Building Energy Management Systems
·                     Occupancy controls
·                     Monitoring and Targeting systems
·                     Combined Heat and Power (CHP).

Other measures which can contribute to the energy efficiency and renewable energy targets can also be considered.

This menu approach enables specifiers and developers to adopt approaches which are responsive to site and client circumstances and constraints, and offers the flexibility to explore and employ different mixes of options on a case by case basis, to maximise technical and economic feasibility.

MOTION NO. 2

That the following be included in the draft Local Area Plan:

“The buildings will be required to incorporate provisions for reducing water use including low flow fittings (toilets, taps, shower heads) and provisions for reuse of rainwater and/or greywater for flushing toilets etc.”
 

MOTION NO. 3

That the following be included in the draft Local Area Plan:

“Existing adjacent housing (with septic tank drainage) will be facilitated by connection to the main foul drainage system.”

MOTION NO. 4

That the following be included in the draft Local Area Plan:
              
“The Public Open Space Master Plan and the Urban Development Master Plan will be submitted to the Malahide/Howth Area Committee / elected Council for approval.”

MOTION NO. 5

That the following be included in the Local Area Plan:
 
“That the phasing be altered to provide that the coastal walkway/cycleway be started prior to any development commencing and that the coastal walkway/cycleway be completed as part of Phase 1 of the development.”

MOTION NO. 6
 

That under Footpaths and Cycleways in the document, the paragraph be amended to read

“As roads in the area will be designed for and have a speed limit of 30 km/hr, it is intended that they will provide a good environment for pedestrians and cyclists. Additional separate facilities will be provided for pedestrians and or cyclists where appropriate to further facilitate efficient, safe and pleasant movement through the area, linking residential areas with public transport, recreational facilities and adjoining areas. These separate facilities will be designed to minimise potential conflict and will be safely designed and built for their purposes. All roads, whether ordinary roads or cycleways, will have names and signs and all necessary directional signs to facilitate pedestrians and cyclists finding the shortest routes will be provided.”

(*”cycleway”, in Irish law, is  defined as a public road or proposed public road reserved for the exclusive use of pedal cyclists or pedal cyclists and pedestrians.)

MOTION NO. 7

That under Station Road Boulevard the “improvement of the roundabout at Coast Road” be amended to “improvement of the junction of Coast Road and Station Road to facilitate safe pedestrian movements.”
 

MOTION NO. 8

“That the Bus network section be amended to reflect known or committed bus routes and not make claims for which there is no evidence.”
 

MOTION NO. 9

That the indicative road through the area be shown as in the Baldoyle Action Area Plan and that an objective be included in the text of the plan to read “the precise route and design of this road is to be selected to suit the provision of a bus route through the site and to ensure that a safe and pleasant environment is provided for pedestrians in what is to be a walkable community.”
 

MOTION NO. 10

That as part of the LAP the size of the car park at Portmarnock Station be increased and the car park be managed to relieve parking pressure in adjoining areas.
 

MOTION NO. 11

That the section in the LAP which reads

“In order to ensure that the Council’s polices and objectives are achieved an ecological assessment shall be carried out to
(a)  examine the impact of the development of the LAP lands, and the associated open space on the designated sites in Baldoyle Bay and
(b)  to make recommendations for avoiding, reducing, or compensating for potential adverse impacts on these designated areas.

This will take place prior to the creation of detailed design proposals and will inform the design process.

The ecological assessment will include an examination of the use of these lands by birds, the potential impacts of surface water drainage on the Bay and the impacts of the proposed footpath/cycleway.”

be amended to read

“In order to ensure that the Council’s polices and objectives are achieved an ecological assessment shall be carried out to
a)     examine the impact of the development of the LAP lands, and the associated open space on the designated sites in Baldoyle Estuary and
b)     make recommendations for avoiding, reducing, or compensating for potential adverse impacts on these designated areas.
c)     make recommendations for measures to be taken to improve the biodiversity of the site and in particular create effective wildlife corridors between and along the Moyne and Sluice Rivers
d)     consider whether a “green bridge” or other form of wildlife crossing should be included across the redesigned Moyne road where it goes beneath the railway

This will take place prior to the creation of detailed design proposals and will inform the design process.

The ecological assessment will include an examination of the use of these lands by birds, otters, foxes, bats and other species,  the potential impacts of surface water drainage Baldoyle estuary, Sluice River and pNHA Sluice Marsh, streams and ditches, and proposed designated areas including consideration of alterations in salinity on areas with evidence of saltmarsh vegetation and impacts thereby on the Sluice Marsh and the impacts of the proposed footpath/cycleway.”

 
MOTION NO. 12

“That the last sentence in Section 8 be amended to read “Ecological assessments shall be carried out by a suitably qualified professional(s), commissioned by the local authority, at the developer’s expense.”
 

MOTION NO. 13

That the conservation reports referred to in response to the question in relation to the draft LAP at the March Malahide/ Howth Area Committee be listed in the LAP.
 

MOTION NO. 14
 
“That the following be included in the draft Local Area Plan:

“The Masterplan will provide for a public library, on land within the neighbourhood centre designation, within the limits set by the 2005 Public Safety Zones Report.”

MOTION NO. 15

That the LAP be amended by amending the section in relation to surface water which currently reads:

“An assessment shall be carried out by a suitably qualified professional, in consultation with the local authority of the effect of the discharge of surface water on the character and Biodiversity of the estuary.”

to read:

“An assessment shall be carried out by suitably qualified professionals, in consultation with the local authority of the effect of the discharge of surface water on the character and Biodiversity of the estuary and on flooding risks in all areas potentially affected.”