Urban Renewal Act, 1998

PART II

Integrated Area Plans and Qualifying Areas

Integrated area plans.

7.—(1) A local authority or, at the request of that local authority, an authorised company, may prepare and submit to the Minister one or more plans (which or each of which shall be known, and is in this Act referred to, as an “integrated area plan”) in respect of an area or areas within the functional area of the local authority and, if the authority or company thinks fit and subject to that subsection, an area referred to in subsection (2).

(2) The area in respect of which an integrated area plan may be prepared may include a part or parts of the functional area or areas of one or more other local authorities if that authority or those authorities consent to that part or those parts being so included.

(3) In preparing an integrated area plan, a local authority or an authorised company, as the case may be, shall have regard to any criteria which the Minister specifies in writing to be criteria to which a local authority or company shall have regard to in preparing such a plan and those criteria may include criteria with respect to the social and economic renewal of the area to which the plan relates.

(4) An integrated area plan shall consist of a written statement and a plan indicating the objectives for—

(a) the social and economic renewal, on a sustainable basis, of the area to which the plan relates, and

(b) improvements in the physical environment of that area.

(5) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (4), an integrated area plan shall specify the physical, economic, social and other issues which, in the opinion of the local authority or company, are relevant to the renewal of the area to which it relates.

(6) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (4), an integrated area plan may, where appropriate, in relation to the area to which it relates—

(a) include—

(i) objectives for the renewal, preservation, conservation, restoration, development or redevelopment of the streetscape, layout and building pattern, including the co-ordination and upgrading of shop frontages,

(ii) guidelines with respect to the heights of buildings and to building materials, density of developments and the treatment of spaces between buildings,

(iii) objectives relating to the preservation of the natural, architectural and archaeological heritage,

(iv) objectives for promoting the development or redevelopment of derelict sites or vacant sites,

(v) objectives for employment, training and education, particularly for persons resident in the area,

(vi) objectives for the improvement of existing residential communities and the development of new such communities, including the development of housing for people of different social backgrounds,

(vii) objectives for the development of community facilities,

(viii) objectives for the improvement of the environment, infrastructure and transportation,

and

(b) indicate the nature and extent of the investment required to achieve the objectives specified in the plan.

(7) In preparing an integrated area plan the local authority or authorised company concerned may consult with such other persons as appear to it to be concerned with or interested in the matter and shall have regard to any submissions or observations made to it by such persons in the course of that consultation.