What is a Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES)?
The RSES will identify the Eastern and Midland region’s key strategic assets, opportunities and challenges and set out policy responses to ensure that people’s needs – such as access to housing, jobs, ease of travel and overall well-being – are met, up to 2030 and beyond.
It will include:
- A spatial strategy for the future location of employment, housing and retail development along with supporting infrastructure and services, in a way that enhances the potential of our cities and towns and best protects our environment and our people from the impacts of climate change.
- An economic strategy with strategic policies to boost competitiveness and support a strong future economy and the creation of high-quality jobs for sustained prosperity.
- A Dublin Metropolitan Area Strategic Plan (MASP) to plan for the future sustainable growth of the capital city region as set out in the emerging National Planning Framework.
The RSES will be informed by:
- The National Planning Framework (NPF) – Ireland 2040, economic and other relevant policies of the government, including climate change plans and the ten-year capital investment plan.
- A Socio- Economic Profile for the region, which has been prepared in collaboration with the All Island Research Observatory (AIRO) in Maynooth University, accompanied by a detailed Map Viewer, as part of our commitment to evidence informed policy making
- A Strategic Environmental Assessment, Appropriate Assessment and Flood Risk Assessment process that will inform each stage in the making of the new regional strategy.
The formulation of the RSES has now begun with Public Consultation on the pre-Draft Issues Paper.
Stages in the RSES process
STAGE 1 Issues Paper –1st Consultation
Local authorities, public and private agencies, interest groups and any interested member of the public are now invited to make submissions between 20th November, 2017 until 5pm on 16th February, 2018. These submissions will be taken into consideration in the preparation of the Draft RSES for the Eastern and Midland Region.
STAGE 2 Draft RSES – 2nd Consultation
Submissions to the Issues paper will be taken into consideration by the Assembly during the preparation of the Draft RSES for the region. The Eastern and Midlands Regional Assembly intends on publishing a Draft RSES and associated environmental reports, in the second quarter of 2018 and this Draft will be placed on public display for at least ten weeks during which time submissions and observations will again be invited.
STAGE 3 Material Amendments- 3rd Consultation
Following consideration of observations on the Draft RSES, the Regional Assembly will consider appropriate amendments and will subject the Draft and any proposed amendments to a rigorous environmental assessment process.
PUBLICATION OF FINAL RSES AND ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTS
Once all of these steps have been taken, the 38 members of the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly will adopt and publish a Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy for the Eastern and Midland Region, by the end of 2018.
Once the RSES is adopted by, each planning authority and public body within the region will be obliged to review their plans and programmes and consider any variations to those plans and programmes as is necessary in order to achieve the objectives of the RSES.
