BREAKING NEWS: Government has taken further responsive action to address chokeholds in the planning system by fast tracking the signing of a new commencement order that will enable local authorities to identify suitable sites for Urban Development Zones (UDZs). Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage James Browne T.D. signed the order today, 6 June 2025, marking the first implementation of provisions from the Planning and Development Act 2024 and the third reform to the planning system in under two weeks.
The order, which comes into operation on Monday 9 June 2025, allows local authorities to begin the process of identifying appropriate sites for UDZ designation whilst also empowering the Land Development Agency (LDA) and Regional Assemblies to bring suitable sites to the attention of both local authorities and the Minister. This is the first real sign of the collaborative approach designed to create what Minister Browne described as “a critical strategic overview of suitable sites to support development and infrastructure at the scale required to significantly escalate the delivery of new homes for our communities”.
Urban Development Zones, or UDZs overhaul how Ireland approaches large-scale residential and urban development. These designated areas within existing settlements will provide a framework for coordinated urban growth, replacing the existing Strategic Development Zone process with what the Government describes as a more flexible and updated (workable?) approach to delivering large-scale developments and necessary infrastructure. The significance of UDZs extends beyond mere planning designation, as the Government has committed to underpinning these zones with substantial state infrastructural investment. This commitment aims to ensure that new development is properly enabled and supported, addressing one of the key challenges that has historically hindered large-scale residential projects in Ireland.
Minister Browne spoke of the urgency of implementing these reforms, noting:
“The overall aim of the Urban Development Zone process is to provide for an updated and more flexible approach to the delivery of large-scale developments and necessary infrastructure than that currently set out by the existing Strategic Development Zone process,” he explained. The Minister positioned UDZs as the successor to Strategic Development Zones, describing them as “the vehicle for delivery of new large-scale integrated development.”
The collaborative framework established by the commencement order is designed to unlock development sites that promise significant economic, social, or environmental benefits to the State and the common good. By mandating cooperation between local authorities, the Land Development Agency, and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Government aims to streamline the identification and development of suitable sites whilst ensuring appropriate oversight and coordination.
Minister of State for Planning and Local Government John Cummins T.D. highlighted the progressive nature of the UDZ framework, describing it as a plan-led process that maintains a key decision-making role for planning authorities:
“They also provide up-front certainty for communities and the development sector, building on the best elements of the former Strategic Development Zones,” he noted, emphasising the importance of learning from previous experiences whilst introducing new efficiencies. The timing of this commencement order is particularly strategic, coinciding with upcoming variations to county development plans that will incorporate updated housing growth requirement figures. Minister Cummins noted that this presents “an opportune time to capitalise on the opportunities presented by Urban Development Zones,” allowing local authorities to integrate UDZ considerations into their broader planning frameworks from the outset.
The commencement order specifically activates Chapters 1 and 2 of Part 22 of the Planning and Development Act 2024, establishing the legal foundation for the site identification process. Importantly, the designation of lands as Urban Development Zones by the Government can only proceed once planning authorities have completed the process of identifying suitable candidate sites within their development plans, making the immediate commencement of this identification work crucial for the programme’s success.
This development is part of the Government’s broader housing delivery strategy, providing local authorities and development stakeholders with new tools to address Ireland’s housing challenges through coordinated, large-scale development approaches. The focus on plan-led development, combined with guaranteed state infrastructural support, aims to provide the certainty and resources necessary to deliver substantial housing numbers whilst ensuring proper integration with existing communities and infrastructure networks.
As local authorities begin this identification process, we will be watching closely to see which sites emerge as candidates for UDZ designation and how the collaborative framework between local authorities, the LDA, and Regional Assemblies develops in practice.
