John Spain Associates

The Government has targeted the completion of 50,000 homes per annum in the First Draft Revision of the National Planning Framework (NPF) and the Programme for Government 2025. Recent delivery patterns have shown completions in the region of c. 30,000 per annum. A clear pathway to delivering 50,000 new homes per annum is essential, based on an assessment of residential planning applications and permissions over recent years it is apparent that significant challenges exist. Utilising data obtained by Construction Information Services (CIS) and the Central Statistics Office (CSO), John Spain Associates has analysed recent trends in the number of residential units applied for and granted permission, and completed over the period 2020 to 2024. This data demonstrates that there is a need to at least double the number of homes for which planning permission is applied for each year, if there is to be any possibility of meeting the target of 50,000 homes per annum. It was found that only c. 46,000 new homes were applied for in each of 2023 and 2024, which based on recent trends is likely to be sufficient to deliver no more than 25,000 homes per annum, compared with the current government target of 50,000 homes per annum, factoring in the grant rate of planning applications, judicial review challenges to permissions granted, and implementation rates as a result of infrastructure constraints, funding challenges and/or financial viability.   In order to keep pace with NPF housing delivery targets (based on current trends), it is estimated that planning applications for at least 100,000 no. new homes will be required to be submitted per annum. This is a very significant increase on recent years, and to achieve this will require a range of measures to be taken by Government. This Planning Insight addresses the challenges that exist to meeting national housing supply targets, and includes recommendations such as setting minimum housing delivery targets for each local authority and increasing the supply of zoned and serviced land, as critical priorities to increasing the scale of housing applications entering the pipeline. You can view this Planning Insight on our website here: https://lnkd.in/eSPkFRTV #UrbanPlanning #ResidentialPlanning #PlanningInsights

Important Leadership Announcement at John Spain Associates John Spain Associates would like to announce that after nearly 30 years of dedicated service, our founder and Managing Director, John Spain, has assumed a new role as Senior Consultant. We are immensely grateful for John's visionary leadership, the excellent practice he has built and the integral role he has played in establishing JSA as a leader in planning consultancy.  We are pleased to confirm that John will remain involved with JSA in a Senior Consultancy capacity, allowing us to continue benefiting from his expertise and insights during this transition period. We are delighted to announce that Paul Turley has been appointed as the new Managing Director of JSA. Paul has been an Executive Director with JSA since 2016 and has worked with the practice for nearly 20 years. Paul brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to maintaining the high standards that define JSA. Our Executive Directors, Rory Kunz, Blaine Cregan and Luke Wymer, will continue their outstanding work, ensuring continuity and stability in our services and the continuation of our client-centered approach. As part of this leadership transition process, Kate Kerrigan has been promoted to Executive Director, further strengthening our leadership team. This leadership transition is a natural progression for the practice and provides a platform for its future growth and development, whilst maintaining our role as a leading planning consultancy. Our dedicated team remains committed to delivering excellence in planning and thought leadership and to continued delivery on our clients’ objectives. This transition and our alignment within the ORS Group, position us to better serve our clients and work within multi-disciplinary and dynamic teams to achieve the best results for our clients. 

John Spain Associates are excited to see the results of the Building & Architect of the Year Awards 2025 and in particular, wish the following projects where JSA provided planning consultancy services the best of luck: Building of the Year - Office (Medium) - Henry J Lyons Architects - Two Grand Parade Housing Project of the Year - Large - Henry J Lyons Architects - Cherrywood TC1 Housing Project of the Year - Medium - COADY Architects - The Gardens at Elmpark Green Conservation Award for a Single Building or Development - Henry J Lyons Architects - Two Grand Parade

Ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8th, we’d like to say thank you to all the incredible women at John Spain Associates. Your contributions are invaluable, and we’re grateful to have such talented and dedicated female professionals as an integral part of our team. Wishing you all a very Happy International Women’s Day! #IWD #InternationalWomensDay #WomenInBusiness #WomenInPlanning Kate Kerrigan | Meadhbh Nolan | Tiarna Devlin | Yvonne McMahon B.Des, BSc., MSc., MIPI | Emer Roche | Elahe Saki | Hannah Millar | Charlotte Ortega ACA | Georgia Tracey | Viola Badin | Hannah McCloskey

Two of our Executive Directors at JSA, Blaine Cregan and Luke Wymer, were delighted to attend the Irish Waste Management Conference hosted in the Aviva today by The Irish Waste Management Association (IWMA). Some great speakers sharing thoughtful insights into the industry!  ♻️ ♻️ ♻️ #IrishWasteManagement #Sustainability #IWMC2025 

Join Luke Wymer Executive Director at John Spain Associates and Oisín Doherty, Senior Environmental Consultant at ORS, for a free webinar with Engineers Ireland exploring the future of biogas in Ireland. Date: 11 March 2025 Time: 19:00 Online | Free Registration This session will cover: ✅ Biogas developments & technology, including a virtual tour ✅ The potential of biogas in Ireland & insights from the GNI report ✅ Key site selection factors – environmental, grid access & feedstock ✅ The biogas planning process & policy drivers shaping the sector Don’t miss this opportunity to gain expert insights into one of Ireland’s key renewable energy solutions. 🔗 Register now: https://lnkd.in/e_cge939 #Biogas #RenewableEnergy #Sustainability #EnvironmentalEngineering #Planning #EngineersIreland #ClimateAction

John Spain Associates (JSA) are delighted to see the recent occupation of the office space in Google’s Bolands Mills development at Ringsend Road and Barrow Street, Dublin 4. JSA have been involved in this hugely significant project since its inception in 2012, and are today managing all planning related parts of the scheme on behalf of Google Ireland Limited. JSA prepared a masterplan submission and engaged proactively with Dublin City Council on the preparation of the North Lotts & Grand Canal Dock SDZ Planning Scheme resulting in a visionary planning framework for the Bolands Mills complex. JSA subsequently coordinated the lodgement of the parent application in 2014 which consisted of the restoration and adaption of 4 no. protected structures on the site including the historic flour mills buildings fronting Ringsend Road and Grand Canal Dock respectively, as well as the Factory Building and 33-34 Barrow Street consistent with the approved Planning Scheme. The application included a mix of uses including office and residential with café / restaurant, cultural and leisure uses at ground floor with the heritage buildings, alongside three new buildings for office and residential use. A public square and bridge to Ringsend Road creates a civic waterfront and a unique new open space. The parent application involved significant engagement with Dublin City Council at pre-application stage and required an Environmental Impact Statement and Planning Report prepared by JSA. We have since further assisted Google to secure permission for a number of subsequent planning applications, most significantly in 2020 for amendments to the parent permission. It was a pleasure to work with Burke-Kennedy Doyle Architects and Henry J Lyons Architects and the wider design team to see this important development come to life.  #UrbanPlanning #UrbanRegeneration #PlanningInDublin #BolandsMill #GrandCanalDock

The Planning and Development Act 2024, signed into law on the 17th of October 2024, provides for new plan making provisions and our latest Planning Insight provides a brief overview of the key changes and updates in relation to the National Planning Framework, National Planning Statements, Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies, Development Plans, Area Plans, and Urban Development Zones.   The key points include:   * A change in the mandatory review period for both the NPF and RSES, with a review of the NPF required after every second census and review of the RSES must commence within 6 months of the publication of a revised NPF. * There are increased powers for the Office of the Planning Regulator as part of the RSES preparation process. * Section 28 Ministerial Guidelines will be replaced with National Planning Statements (existing section 28 Guidelines to stay in place until replaced by National Planning Statements). * The lifetime of a Development Plan is extended from 6 to 10 years. * Development Plans will include the zoning of all land in the functional area of the Planning Authority. * The mandatory review period for the Development Plan will be within 8 years of making the Plan, with an Interim Implementation Report to be prepared after 4 years. * The Planning Authority will undertake consultation with the OPR at least 3 months before the preparation of a draft Development Plan. * Local Area Plans will be replaced with Urban Area Plans, Priority Area Plans and Co-ordinated Area Plans. * Introduction of Urban Development Zones, with the inclusion of candidate Urban Development Zones within a development plan, the designation of Urban Development Zones by Government and the making of a development scheme for all or part of the area (similar in some respects to SDZs).   You can view the Planning Insight on our website here: http://bit.ly/412f6JW   #planninganddevelopmentact2024 #planninginsights #urbanplanning

We’re delighted to share that Luke Wymer, Executive Director, has been selected as a finalist in the Future Leader category at the Irish Construction Excellence Awards 2025. This prestigious category recognises individuals who have demonstrated exceptional promise, leadership, and excellence in their work, the industry, and among their peers at an early stage in their careers. Since joining John Spain Associates in 2017, Luke has played a key role in shaping the success of our practice. Today, he leads a talented and highly professional team of planners, delivering complex and large-scale energy, data centre, industrial, and infrastructure projects. We’re incredibly proud of Luke’s achievements and the impact he continues to make in the industry. Congratulations, Luke, and best of luck in the finals! #ICEAwards #FutureLeader #IrishConstructionExcellence #Planning #Leadership

The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) has this morning published a proposed decision on a revised Connection Policy for Large Energy Users (LEUs).   Some of the key points include the following:   - Feedback is sought on a threshold for Maximum Import Capacity (MIC) below which the proposed policy will not apply. - System Operators (SOs) to consider the constrained or unconstrained nature of locations for proposed new data centre connections. - SOs to publish locational data on available capacity and network constraint (existing and outlook). - Data centres to provide on-site or proximate generation / storage to match MIC, which is required to participate in the wholesale electricity market. - No additional requirement for demand flexibility, however flexibility can be required at a local level on a case-by-case basis. - Data centres to report their renewable energy usage to the relevant SO annually (direct use and indirect use via CPPAs) and their sites’ emissions. These will be published by the SOs.   The CRU decision, once finalised, will strongly influence the continued development of the data centre industry in Ireland. John Spain Associates have extensive experience in the coordination of applications for data centre development and supporting infrastructure, including conventional and renewable generation, energy storage, and high voltage grid infrastructure.   Submissions on the proposed decision can be made to the CRU until Friday 4th of April 2025.