‘Historic day for Tipperary’

The passing of the 2022-2027 Tipperary County Development Plan has been described as a “historic day” for the county.

The first plan of its kind for both north and south Tipperary, the “blueprint” for the development of the county over the next five years will come into effect on August 22. The plan was before this week's meeting of Tipperary Co Council for consideration at the end of a two-year preparatory period that included three extensive public consultation processes and attracted 846 submissions.

Director of Services Eamonn Lonergan said there were 26 workshops held during those two years, some of them lasting more than four hours. He thanked all of the councillors for working with the executive on the new document, which is consistent with regional and national strategies while also addressing local needs and interests.

Mr Lonergan described the new plan as progressive while also protective of the county. He was proud to see it reach the stage where it is ready to come into effect.

Senior Executive Planner Anne Marie Devaney outlined the plan's highlights, including environmental protection and safeguarding of wildlife and habitats; growth of the towns; a framework for a thriving rural economy; strategic infrastructure, such as broadband, and taking account of the impact of the pandemic with regard to how people work and live.

Formally proposing that the council adopt the plan, Cllr Phyll Bugler said Tipperary's new framework would support investment and job creation. Cllr John Carroll spoke of the amount of work “unseen by the public” that went into this plan; while there were many challenges, the councillors and executive worked through these with great resolve.

"We now have a plan that we can stand over," he said. "Going forward, it will be a good plan to the county."

Cllr Hughie McGrath took the opportunity to thank his fellow members on the Southern Regional Assembly for their work on the plan, including that of former councillor Mattie Ryan Coole, who was a "huge asset" to the process.

Cllr Michael O'Meara also spoke positively about the new County Development Plan. "Councillors have had a huge stamp on it, as opposed to plans historically," he observed. Similarly, Cllr Michael Smith said there had been strong co-operation between all involved in formulating the new plan. "Everybody within this council cares about this county; we want to see this county progress."

CEO Joe MacGrath referred to agreement on the new county-wide plan as a "historic day for Tipperary". While he had been involved in many plans over the years, Mr MacGrath had never worked on one that involved so much input from councillors and members of the public. The Tipperary County Development Plan saw "extraordinary levels of consultation," and the chief executive wanted to thank the members of the public for their involvement.

Mr MacGrath referred to the plan as the "blueprint, more than any other plan, for the future development of this county". It would give confidence to developers and investors in Tipperary, and set out the future course of the county in line with the views of everyone that participated in it. "This is your plan," Mr MacGrath told the meeting, "your policies and ambitions."