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New County Development Plan passed
(24/07/2010)
By Simon O’Duffy
North Tipperary is “open for business” according to the county council’s senior planner following adoption this week of the 2010-2016 County Development Plan.
Finally adopted after a three-hour debate last Monday, most of which was held ‘in-committee,’ the new County Development Plan sets out the planning blueprint in North Tipperary for the next six years.
Promotion of enterprise and employment was a key concern for councillors who thrashed out the document with the council executive over a series of meetings and workshops over the last two years.
Speaking as the plan was adopted last Monday, Senior Planner Brian Beck assured the meeting that the 2010-2016 County Development Plan will facilitate, support and encourage employment in North Tipperary. He said the message should go out that North Tipperary is “open for business” following adoption of the plan.
Cllr Pauline Coonan (FG) welcomed the council’s efforts to support local business creation through the new plan rather than following the lead of the “compromised” Minister for Environment, Heritage & Local Government John Gormley, who she said “wants us to send the jobs to Limerick and the big cities as is dictated in the Mid West Planning Guidelines.”
Cllr Coonan also received assurance from Mr Beck that the council would be open to the consideration of takeaway restaurants in town centres under the new plan.
Councillors Séamus Morris (SF) and John Carroll (FF) also welcomed the new County Development Plan but feared it could be superseded by the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA), which they said could have a huge impact on development in North Tipperary.
However Acting County Manager Matt Shortt said the council had not been in contact with NAMA on the matter and that “our loyalty is to North Tipp, and our duty is to North Tipp”.
Among the aspects of the draft plan discussed on Monday was the de-zoning of industrial land in Thurles, while some councillors sought to have a number of buildings de-listed from the Record of Protected Structures.
Of particular concern was a derelict building at Borrisokane’s VEC school, which councillors said poses a health and safety hazard and should be demolished to facilitate a major redevelopment project taking place at the school. However Mr Beck informed the meeting that Minister Gormley’s department has ruled that the building in question should be retained as a protected structure as it has heritage value.
Among the amendments made to the draft was the stating of a specific objective in the new plan that the council would support the location of small scale airports in North Tipperary for tourism, leisure and business purposes, “subject to normal sustainable planning and development criteria.”
Mr Shortt took the opportunity to acknowledge the “huge amount of work” councillors, members of the Strategic Policy Committees (SPCs), and council staff had put into the new plan over the last two years. The County Development Plan sets out a vision for the future development of North Tipperary. It outlines the county council’s planning objectives and identifies guidelines for sustainable development in the county.
The plan defines where certain types of development should take place and the standards that are required for various types of development. It also identifies buildings, monuments, trees, views, areas or sites that are protected.
Other important issues considered in the plan include settlement strategy, population and future household trends, economic development and employment, transport and energy, infrastructure, social inclusion, community development, environment, heritage and conservation, and tourism, recreation and culture.
North Tipperary Co Council received a total of 30 submissions during the public consultation period for the 2010-2016 County Development Plan. The new document is to come into effect next month.
The last development plan came into effect in November 2004. It was amended several times since, the amendments constituting a long drawn out process that had to clear several stages before being passed.
Development levies were one of the biggest talking points of the last plan and are now up for discussion again with the North Tipperary Development Contribution Scheme 2011-2012. A public consultation period for a draft of the scheme will take place from July 26 to September 6. The council hopes to adopt the new scheme in November and must have it in place by the end of the year to collect levies for the 2011-2012 period. |
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