23. National Transport Authority
Forward Planning Team,
Monaghan County Council,
Planning Offices,
1 Dublin Street,
Monaghan,
H18 X982
4th June 2023
Re: Strategic Issues & Options Paper, Monaghan County Development Plan 2025 - 2031
Dear Sir/Madam,
The National Transport Authority (‘the NTA’) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the ‘Review
of the Monaghan County Development Plan 2019-2025 and Preparation of the Monaghan County
Development Plan 2025-2031 Strategic Issues & Options Paper’ and, based on national transport
policy, the ‘Northern and Western Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy 2020-2032’ and the
National Cycle Manual submits the following comments and observations.
1. Guiding Principles
The NTA recommends that the preparation of the Development Plan should be guided by, and include,
land use policies and objectives, which support the consolidation of urban-generated development
within existing urban areas, in complement with the integration of land use and transport planning,
as follows:
In accordance with the NPF and RSES, development patterns which seek to consolidate
development should be supported and prioritised as a means of preventing urban sprawl,
reducing the demand for long-distance travel and maximising the use of existing transport
infrastructure and services;
The location of development should be guided by the ‘sequential approach’ whereby
development is located within the town core in the first instance and on lands where the
resulting travel demand can be met by walking, cycling and public transport;
Major new “out-of-town” retail developments should not be supported;
Trip intensive development, such as large-scale office developments, should not be supported
at more peripheral and / or less accessible locations;
Land use policies which seek to provide for an appropriate mix of uses at the district and
neighbourhood level should be supported;
Development should be based on the “Avoid-Shift-Improve” principle; the “Decide and
Provide” approach to the planning and design of transport networks; and the general
objectives of the 10-minute town concept;
The Development Plan should ensure that access by walking, cycling and public transport is a
key determinant in the location of local services such as schools, retail and leisure facilities.
2. Road User Hierarchy
The National Sustainable Mobility Policy, sets out a strategic framework to 2030 for active travel and
public transport to support Ireland’s overall requirement to achieve a 51% reduction in carbon
emissions by the end of this decade. The Policy sets out to deliver at least 500,000 additional daily
active travel and public transport journeys and a 10% reduction in kilometres driven by fossil fuelled
cars by 2030.
The National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland (NIFTI) is the strategic framework for
future investment decision making in land transport. It will guide transport investment in the years
ahead to enable the National Planning Framework, support the Climate Action Plan, and promote
positive social, environmental and economic outcomes throughout Ireland. NIFTI sets out the road
user modal hierarchy in Ireland as; 1. Active Travel (Walking & Cycling); 2. Public Transport; 3. Private
Vehicles. It also outlines an intervention hierarchy which is: 1. Maintain; 2. Optimise; 3. Improve; 4.
New.
The Development Plan should align with these national policy documents and should seek the
reallocation of road space in appropriate locations in accordance with the road user hierarchy, in order
to prioritise walking, cycling and public transport use and prioritise the place-making functions of the
urban street network.
3. Climate Action Plan 2023
Under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021, emissions must
reduce by 51% by 2030, setting a path towards a zero net-emissions scenario by 2050. The transport
sector is committed to meeting those targets in full. For transport, there are three main actions
required that should inform the policies, objectives and measures of the Development Plan, namely:
Reducing the demand for travel;
Increasing use of public transport, walking and cycling and a reduction in trips by car;
Conversion of the transport fleet to zero emissions vehicles.
The NTA recommends that an emphasis on integrating land-use and transport planning and providing
for sustainable modes to increase the modes share of walking, cycling and public transport are central
to the achievement of Climate Action objectives and should directly inform the Draft Development
Plan policies, objectives and measures.
4. Core Strategy
The Core Strategy, guided by the Northern and Western Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy, will
examine the extent and location of residential lands. The delivery of housing, in line with the Core
Strategy, in higher order settlements will complement, rather than undermine investment in public
transport and active travel infrastructure, which the NTA is delivering in partnership with Monaghan
County Council. The NTA recommends that the extent and location of future industry, retail, schools
and other commercial type land uses (particularly trip intensive land uses), should predominantly be
focused on existing areas and ones that are currently served or will be served with sustainable
transport options.
5. Movement at Inter-Settlement level
It is recommended that an assessment of inter-settlement travel patterns across the County and to
key settlements in neighbouring counties is undertaken, in order to better understand travel patterns
and associated transport infrastructure and services requirements. Of particular importance in this
process will be the examination of commuting patterns between the County Monaghan towns, and
the interdependencies of the towns throughout the County and also to towns in neighbouring
Counties. This profiling can be used to better understand the relationship between current land use
patterns and associated travel patterns. In doing so, it can also usefully inform both the formulation
of land use policies which can affect more sustainable travel pattern outcomes, as well as the transport
infrastructure and services need to meet future inter settlement travel demand.
6. Movement at Settlement Level – Local Transport Plans (LTP)
The NTA recommends that Local Transport Plans are prepared for the higher order settlements in the
County in order to guide the future growth of these towns. In this regard, it is noted that Monaghan
County Council intend to prepare an LTP for the town of Monaghan. The preparation of LTPs should
be guided by the methodology set out in the suite of NTA/TII documents relating to Area Based
Transport Assessment including; Area Based Transport Assessment (ABTA): How to Guide, Pilot
Methodology, and Area Based Transport Assessment (ABTA) Template Brief
(https://www.nationaltransport.ie/strategic-planning/guidance-documents/). The NTA welcomes
consultation and collaboration with the Council and TII in the preparation of the Monaghan LTP.
The LTP represent the lowest tier of the NPF’s framework for the integration of land use and transport
planning and the achievement of compact smart growth. It is intended that LTPs would:
• Maximise the opportunities for the integration of land use and transport planning;
• Assess the existing traffic, transport and movement conditions within the Plan area and in its
wider context;
• Plan for the efficient movement of people, goods and services within, to and from the Plan
area;
• Identify the extent to which estimated transport demand associated with local development
objectives can be supported and managed on the basis of existing transport assets; and
• Identify the transport interventions required within the Plan area and in the wider context, to
effectively accommodate the anticipated increase in demand.
7. Walking and Cycling
The Draft Development Plan should illustrate the importance placed on sustainable modes of
transport within the County. The integration of land use and transport planning is key to ensuring that
these modes are provided for. The Plan should seek to ensure that people are living within walking
and cycling distance of their neighbourhood or district centres, public transport services and other
services at the local level such as schools.
The Plan should seek to ensure that new development areas are fully permeable for walking and
cycling and it should be an objective that the retrospective implementation of walking and cycling
facilities should be undertaken where practicable in existing neighbourhoods, in order to a give
competitive advantage to these modes for local trip making.
The NTA are currently working with Monaghan County Council through the Active Travel Team in the
planning and delivery of active travel projects in the County. The Plan should ensure that supportive
policies are in place to facilitate this work and to maximise the use of this investment through
supportive land use zoning policies and development management standards.
The NTA is also developing ‘CycleConnects: Ireland’s Cycle Network’ which aims to improve sustainable
travel by providing the potential for more trips on a safe, accessible and convenient cycling network,
connecting more people to more places. Proposals for cycling links in key cities, towns and villages in
each county are included in the plan, in addition to connections between the larger towns, villages
and settlements. The plan also incorporates existing and planned cycle routes such as greenways and
blueways. These plans and investments should be acknowledged and provided for in the Development
Plan.
8. Provision of Public Transport Services in Rural Areas
The rural economy and the rural social fabric should be supported through the provision of better
local connectivity and connectivity to services and commercial activities located in cities and towns.
In addition to this, urban-generated development in rural areas needs to be managed in such a way
so as to safeguard the integrity of rural areas and to support the accommodation of urban-generated
development within urban areas.
The NTA has recently launched the Connecting Ireland: Rural Mobility Plan. The Plan is a major national
public transport initiative that will increase connectivity, particularly for people living outside the
major cities. The plan aims to improve mobility in rural areas. It will provide better connections
between villages and towns by linking these with an enhanced regional network connecting cities and
regional centres nationwide. Connecting Ireland will seek to improve the current transport network
by:
Enhancing existing services;
Adding new services and;
Enhancing the current Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) network.
It is envisaged that the first wave of conventional fixed-route, fixed timetabled bus services in
Connecting Ireland will provide:
50% of the population within 400 meters of a bus stop that provides at least three return trips
per day;
17% (780k population) with improved mobility by the provision of Demand Responsive and
other innovative transport services;
101 new Local Centre connections from rural settlements in the hinterland;
103 new County Town connections from all types of settlements around County Towns; and
64 new Regional Centre/City connections, from all types of settlements around these
Centres/Cities.
The Plan will be led by the NTA, but delivering it will take a partnership approach with transport
operators and local authorities and the new and improved services are being implemented on a
phased basis from 2022-2025.
The NTA continues to provide rural transport services through the Local Link Rural Transport
Programme. The key priorities of this programme continue to be directed at addressing rural social
exclusion and the integration of rural transport services with other public transport services. The
programme mission statement is ‘to provide a quality nationwide community based public transport
system in rural Ireland which responds to local needs’.
The NTA will develop and expand the Local Link Rural Transport Programme in the following manner:
seek further integration with other public transport services, including HSE and school
transport;
ensure fully accessible vehicles operate on all services;
enhance the customer experience;
increase patronage among children and young people; and
encourage innovation in the service.
It is recommended that the Development Plan acknowledges the role rural transport services can
perform in providing for social and economic connectivity between small villages/rural areas and
larger towns. Policies and objectives to support the role of rural transport, in particular, the Connecting
Ireland plan should be included in the Development Plan.
9. Strategic Road Network
The NPF sets out the importance of maintaining, improving and protecting the strategic function of
the key transport corridors including the imperative to improve and protect the strategic function of
the TEN-T core and comprehensive network.
In this regard, National Policy Objective 74 seeks to “Secure the alignment of the National Planning
Framework and the National Development Plan through delivery of the National Strategic Outcomes”.
National Strategic Outcome 2 of the National Planning Framework indicates the need for “Maintaining
the strategic capacity and safety of the national roads network including planning for future capacity
enhancements”.
In order to protect the strategic transport function of the national roads, including motorways, the
NTA recommends that development objectives should be in accordance with the DOECLG Spatial
Planning and National Roads Guidelines (2012), and that this should be referenced in the
Development Plan.
10. Parking Standards
Car Parking
The NTA recommends that car parking provision for both residential and non-residential land uses
should be stated as maximum standards rather than minimum requirements. In addition, in locations
where the highest intensity of development occurs, an approach that caps car parking on an area-
wide basis should be applied.
Cycle Parking
Cycle parking at trip origins and destinations is a key factor in determining mode choice, and should
be appropriately designed into the urban realm and new developments to ensure that adequate
facilities are provided.
The Development Plan should therefore include specific policies on cycle parking in the urban realm
and in private developments. In this regard, the NTA recommends the Standards for Cycle Parking and
Associated Cycling Facilities for New Developments document issued by Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown
County Council in 2018, which includes comprehensive guidance on the design of cycle parking.
(http://www.dlrcoco.ie/sites/default/files/atoms/files/dlr_cycle_parking_standards.pdf).
11. Accessibility
The National Planning Framework recognises that social inclusion can be improved in the transport
sector through, among other things, universal design. For example, Technical Guidance Document M
of the Building Control Regulations 2010 includes the objective to provide independently accessible
means of approach to buildings.
Enabling universal access and facilitating and promoting universal design should be a key
consideration in the development plan, as it relates to transport policies and objectives. Making the
external built environment accessible to all can facilitate and promote the greater use of public
transport, walking and cycling. The use of universal design in the external built environment can
benefit all within society including those with specific mobility issues and requirements. Objectives
which promote universal design in the external built environment such as providing separate
pedestrian entrances, the provision of dropped curbs and tactile paving will provide a safer and more
attractive environment for all.
12. National Transport Authority Guidance Documents
The NTA recommends that the preparation of the Development Plan is informed by the following NTA
guidance, available on the NTA web site:
The National Cycle Manual;
Permeability Best Practice Guide;
Achieving Effective Workplace Travel Plans: Guidance for Local Authorities;
Workplace Travel Plans: A Guide for Implementers;
Toolkit for School Travel; and
Guidance Note on Area Based Transport Assessment (NTA and TII).
13. Development Plan Indicators – Mode Share
The Office of the Planning Regulator may seek to include mode share targets in the Development Plan.
The NTA is happy to work with the local authority in this regard. The benefit of including mode share
as a sustainable development indicator is to monitor the efficacy of policies and development
objectives.
Conclusion
I trust that the views of the NTA will be taken into consideration in the preparation of the Draft County
Development Plan, and we would be available to discuss issues arising from the comments made.
Yours sincerely,
_______________________
Michael Mac Aree
Head of Strategic Planning