The OPR entered into a co-funding agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in December 2021 in respect of a new research project entitled 'Public Participation and Performance Criteria in Strategic Environmental Assessment: The Way Forward to Advancing Practice' or the SEAWAY project.

The project commenced in March 2022 and is being led by Dr. Ainhoa González Del Campo, Associate Professor with the School of Geography in University College Dublin (UCD). The project duration is 24 months with an estimated completion date of March 2024.

The aim of the research is twofold:

-to review the extent and effectiveness of public participation in SEA practice and to enhance participation in Irish SEAs by developing a good practice guidance note and by producing a video describing how people can get involved in the process; and

-to review preliminary Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for SEA in Ireland, and develop a robust performance framework and associated effective KPIs that will be tested in live SEAs within the project timeline.

The ultimate goal of the project is to improve public participation in SEA in Ireland and to provide a robust SEA performance evaluation framework and associated KPIs to facilitate performance checks during assessments. An online survey was undertaken in October/November 2022 and interviews with national and international experts were undertaken in Q1 2023. A demonstration pilot workshop was held in June 2023 in Dundalk, Co. Louth. The project is on target for completion by mid-2024. 

Overall, the research outputs and outcomes will contribute to advancing the effectiveness of SEA in protecting the environment and promoting sustainable development.

For more information on the project you can access newsletters produced by the project team here and the video produced by the project team describing how people can get involved in the process is available here.

This Case Study Paper (CSP06) is the sixth in a series of OPR Case Study Papers. It focuses on ‘Planning Application Processing: An Analysis of Planning Authority Validation Processes’.  This case study paper explores how local authorities validate planning applications. The validation of a planning application involves an assessment of the documentation submitted by an applicant to determine if it complies with regulatory requirements.

In preparing this CSP a high level review of the available validation statistics for all 31 planning authorities over the period 2016-2020 was carried out. Eight local authorities were then identified, from within three validation bands (below average, average and high invalidation rates). Consultation took place with staff from the eight selected local authorities to better understand the systems and procedures that are used to validate planning applications.

The aim of CSP06 is to share learnings and good practice and to stimulate thinking on how to achieve a situation where the majority of planning applications that are lodged are valid on receipt. By the dissemination of information about systems and procedures the aim is to help planning authorities to develop good practice approaches and to improve consistency and efficiency in the validation of planning applications.

This Case Study Paper (CSP04) is the fourth in a series of OPR Case Study Papers. It focuses on 'Pre-Application (S247) Consultation Services: An Analysis of Practice Across the Local Government Sector'. It builds on CSP02 'Online Planning Services: A Survey of the Online Availability of Local Authority Planning Documentation' which found there was a variation in how pre-application services are delivered across local authorities. This CSP explores how the service is delivered across all 31 local authorities.

In preparing the CSP, we consulted with each local authority to understand how they deliver the pre-application consultation service. Following this consultation we were able to identify the different systems and procedures employed by local authorities in their delivery of this service. In the CSP we have set out the characteristics of good quality pre-application consultation systems and we have proposed seven guiding principles that could be used by local authorities for self-assessment.

The aim of CSP04 is to support planning authorities in the delivery of Pre-Application (S247) Consultation Services and to promote greater exchange of knowledge and expertise across the sector. CSP04 also seeks to encourage greater harmonisation in the delivery of this service across local authorities.

This Case Study Paper (CSP03) is the third in a series of OPR Case Study Papers. It focuses on 'Traveller Accommodation and the Local Authority Development Plan'.

A Traveller Accommodation Expert Group, established by the government in 2018, carried out a review of the effectiveness of the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act, 1998. In July 2019, this Expert Group published a report which called upon the OPR to research and review "Traveller accommodation policies and objectives in statutory development plans."

This CSP was based on a survey of current development plans and Traveller accommodation programmes and examined linkages between their policies and objectives. This CSP seeks to support planning authorities in the performance of their duties and to highlight best practice and promote shared learnings across the sector.

This Case Study Paper (CSP02) is the second in a series of OPR Case Study Papers. It focuses on 'Online Planning Services: A Survey of the Online Availability of Local Authority Planning Application Documentation'.

The availability of online planning services and the accessibility of planning application documentation on local authority websites has been a particular focus of public and stakeholder attention recently. The restrictions associated with the Covid-19 pandemic emphasised the need to provide the public with adequate remote access to planning services, including viewing planning applications online.

This CSP was based on a survey of over 155 randomly selected planning applications on the websites of all 31 local authorities. The CSP seeks to support planning authorities in the delivery of online planning services, to highlight best practice and promote shared learnings across the sector.

This Case Study Paper (CSP01) is the first in a series of OPR Case Study Papers. It focuses on 'Public Rights of Way and the Local Development Plan: A Survey Report on the Operation of Section 10(2)(o) of the Planning Act'.

Public Rights of Way (PROW) are an essential part of the amenity and recreational facilities available to the public in Ireland, whether they provide access to rivers, seashore, lakes, uplands or other amenities.

      This CSP was based on analysis of the current public rights of way, findings from a survey of local authority development plans and it provides a good practice summary.

This research considers how local authorities can measure the outcomes of planning. This means going beyond simple metrics like speed of processing applications and number of housing units delivered and assessing planning in terms of placemaking aspirations and social, economic and environmental value, in order to track and improve the impact of planning.

Building on previous work that has taken place across the nations, the research team reviewed the context and needs of planning jurisdictions across the UK and Ireland, identifying guiding principles, developing a toolkit and then contextualising, testing and refining that toolkit.

This research was commissioned by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) with funding support from the Governments of Ireland, Scotland and Wales, along with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Office of the Planning Regulator in Ireland.