National Approach to Biodiversity Needed to Unlock Faster, More Certain Development

A cross-sectoral group of organisations representing developers, planners, building designers, social housing providers, and ecological experts has published a joint letter calling for a coordinated national approach to integrating biodiversity and landscape-led considerations into the planning and delivery of new housing, buildings and infrastructure.

The letter, sent to James Browne, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and copied to An Taoiseach Micheál Martin and relevant Ministers of State, sets out the benefits of a consistent national framework, noting that it would bring greater certainty, support more efficient planning processes and facilitate the delivery of homes.

More specifically, the group is calling for a national framework centred on the biodiversity mitigation hierarchy – avoid, minimise, restore, enhance – and supported by clear, practical and standardised tools. It has identified three priority actions:

• Develop and implement a coordinated national framework on biodiversity and planning of the built environment.
• Adopt a common national biodiversity measurement tool for sites zoned for development.
• Provide practical, standardised toolkits, guidance documents and templates to support master planning and site design, such as guidance on lighting, tree planting, hedgerow and landscape maintenance procedures. 

Commenting on the launch, Matt Hague, Chair of the Irish Green Building Council’s “Biodiversity in the Built Environment” working group and member of the coalition said:

“The review of County and City Development Plans over the coming years presents a unique opportunity to embed a consistent national approach to biodiversity across the planning system. By investing in practical tools, common standards and clear guidance now, Government can reduce uncertainty, support faster delivery of homes and infrastructure, and deliver better outcomes for nature”. 

The group’s shared goal is to help the Government meet its housing and infrastructure ambitions by providing greater certainty for developers, planning authorities and communities, while ensuring new development contributes positively to nature restoration and the creation of healthy, climate-resilient places.

The signatories of the letter are listed below:

• Jason Reeves, Head of Policy, Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental 
• Management (CIEEM)
• Cian O’Dowd, Head of Public Affairs, Engineers Ireland
• Susan Vickers, Climate Action Working Group, Housing Alliance
• Catherine McGillycuddy, Acting Director of Policy, Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH)
• Pat Barry, CEO, Irish Green Building Council (IGBC)
• Nuno Costa, Elected Member, Irish Landscape Institute (ILI)
• Dr. Seán O’Leary, CEO, Irish Planning Institute (IPI)
• Deirdre Lane, Executive Coordinator, Natural Capital Ireland
• Pranash Ramanundh, Practice Director, Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland (RIAI)
• Edward Mc Auley, Director of Practice & Policy, Society of Chartered Surveyors of Ireland (SCSI)