Date: 01 Dec 2021
Launch of Best Practice Interim Guidance Document
The importance of managing urban rainfall and surface water is increasingly being recognised in terms of environmental impact. This and the increased risk of flooding due to climate change, means that we need to adapt our approach to urban planning and design in Ireland and plan for greater resilience, environmental protection and sustainable living.
The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH), supported by LAWPRO, Dublin City Council and the County and City Managers Associationt established a project to actively promote the implementation of nature-based surface water management solutions to our cities and towns through new developments (greenfield and brownfield), as well as urban regeneration and, indeed, all projects that intervene in the urban fabric, using an urban design and plan led approach.
The project engaged with all Local Authorities, state agencies including EPA, IFI, NPWS and OPW, Government Departments, TII and DMURS and the private sector to better understand how Water Sensitive Urban Design can be implemented more coherently in Ireland.
This new best practice interim guidance document was launched by Minister Malcolm Noonan on 30th November 2021 and made available for download.
The document aims to assist all of those involved in activities relevant to the management of rainwater and surface water runoff in urban areas including:
- Planning
- Transport
- Housing
- Flood risk management
- Environment and biodiversity
- Climate
- Urban regeneration
- Blue way and Greenways and outdoor recreation
- Parks
For local authorities this will require a multidisciplinary approach and includes the involvement of the following where appropriate:
- Planners (forward planning, development planning, compliance checking etc.)
- Engineers (including roads and housing)
- Architects including landscape architects
- Environment sections
- Parks sections
- Community and enterprise (e.g., if planning projects such as Public Realm etc.)
- Professionals within local authorities and anyone involved in the planning or design of developments or the general area of surface water management.