Mr. Martin Lydon, Head of Finance and A/Director of Services gave an overview  to the Members on Project Ireland 2040 - “ Building Irelands Future”, launched by the Government on 16^th February 2018.

·         Project Ireland 2040 is the overarching policy and planning framework for the social, economic and cultural development of Ireland. It includes a detailed capital investment plan for the period 2018 to 2027, the National Development Plan 2018-2027, and the 20-year National Planning Framework.

·         Aims to provide balanced regional development and improve State infrastructure and has replaced the National Spatial Strategy (NSS) and now represents national planning policy

·         For the first time the National Planning Framework will have a statutory footing.

·         Plan proposed total expenditure of €116bn with a Rural Regeneration and Development Fund of €1bn that will fund Village and Rural Infrastructure deficits, Rural Brownfield Development Facilitation, Rural Enterprise Space and Digital Hub Development, Community and Public Realm and Local Tourism and Heritage Initiatives.

·         The Regional Development Strategy provides for Regional Centres of Athlone, Sligo, Letterkenny, Drogheda and Dundalk in addition to the five existing cities with an expected increase in population of 1m people and 600,000 jobs by 2040.

·         The North West Region will have additional 160,000 -180,000 people and 115,000 jobs with up to 45,000 additional population for Galway City so approx. 145,000 growth will be spread over 9 other counties in NWRA.

·         Roles of Athlone and Sligo to be included in Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES). This strategy to be prepared by early 2019 and this is the next stage of the process.

·         There is potential growth of large towns and designated employment centres i.e settlements greater than 10,000 pop of 2,500 jobs, and at least 30% growth from 2016

·         Number of infrastructure investment projects highlighted including upgrade of N5 Ballaghaderreen to Scramoge

·         Impacts for County Roscommon include:

o   Athlone as Regional centre which allows it to grow sustainably and secure investment

o   Focus on accessibility between cities and larger regional centres (no specific mention of N61

o   Roscommon identified as an Employment Centre

o   Boyle Enhancement Plan identified for potential benefit from Rural Regeneration and Development fund.

·         Impact on Infrastructure includes upgrade of the N5, Roscommon Rehabilitation Unit, New Roscommon Sterile Services Department, New Ward Block at Portiuncula hospital, upgrade of all schools built pre 2008 and refurbishment of Roscommon Courthouse.

·         Core Strategy and Housing Strategy will be related to Housing Needs Demand Assessment and this assessment will have consequences in relation to land use zoning.

·         Future housing will be located in larger towns/employment centres and smaller towns and villages and rural areas at appropriate scale. There is an emphasis on brownfield sites in existing urban areas and economic and social need will have to be demonstrated in rural areas under urban influence.

·         Land Use Zoning will be regulated

·         The Office of the Planning Regulator will have an independent monitoring role

Mr. Lydon explained that this is a framework and the real work will be undertaken at Regional Authority level. With Athlone as a regional centre, hinterlands should develop. The plan will also allow the tackling of dereliction issues in towns and villages and bringing them back to life.

The members thanked Mr. Lydon for the presentation and debated as follows:

·         Welcome the plan and hope it’s not a PR exercise and that it is brought to fruition.

·         Welcome changes from draft plan and thanks to staff of Roscommon County Council for their work in relation to the submission on behalf of the Council. It would have been a disaster for Roscommon if Athlone and Sligo not given Regional Status.

·         Welcome the investment/expansion of services in Roscommon County Hospital with new Sterilisation Unit.

·         Apart from Athlone, there are no jobs envisaged for County Roscommon.

·         The success of such a plan depends on critical mass, and there is no critical mass in Connacht so the necessary investment will not be forthcoming.

·         Many of the items in Plan are old news but it is still welcome. Unbelievable that N61 upgrade not included – this must be done.

·         Concerned for the middle of county as outside the commutable area for both Sligo and Athlone.

·         Last minute scrambling to include regional centres and plan has no timelines of dates - this is a publicity stunt.  It was not appropriate for the Chief Executive to give credit for the plan to one public representative.

·         What does the definition of regional centre mean for Athlone – there is no detail in the plan?

·         Focusing on third-level institutions at the expense of second-level education.

·         Use of taxpayers money to advertise this Plan is wasteful.

·         Positive news for county Roscommon with Athlone as Regional Centre and Roscommon town as employment centre.

·         Is there a concern about restricting the amount of land that will become available for housing and do we have to comply straight away with new planning guidelines?

·         There needs to be investment in local roads urgently as this winter has caused huge damage.

·         Friday 19^th February was a good day for the county with the publication of this plan – but it is only a plan and now needs to be implemented in full.

·         Where is the IDA in relation to creation of jobs in Roscommon? One in four jobs are currently created in Dublin. A number of factories closed down in the county town and there has been no replacement of jobs.

·         It will be impossible to get planning permission for houses in countryside now – what about elderly people who need sons/daughters living beside them?

·         Schools need funding to be upgraded

·         The timeframe is very long and the bigger projects at the end of the plan – it would be desirable to frontload some projects to show the intent of the plan

·         Good news for Boyle, N5 upgrade and regeneration of rural areas through CLAR and RAPID funding. Need balanced job creation throughout the country, need funding for housing and dereliction in town centres.

·         Who is the Planning Regulator?

·         Welcome the plan and the work put into the submission from Roscommon County Council

·         Hope there will be spinoffs for towns in Roscommon from the development of Sligo and Athlone but disappointed no mention of agriculture in the plan

·         Need to get parking issue sorted at Roscommon Hospital and refurbish the Courthouse

·         Would like to see funding for Innovation centre and we need to fill our IDA Enterprise centre.

·         There is no detail on what a Regional centre is and what this actually means for Athlone

Martin Lydon responded to queries and comments as follows:

·         There is no definition of Regional Centre as yet and at a meeting arranged for 5^th March there should be more indepth insight into the plan.

·         The development of housing demand will be subject to modelling programme but elected members will have tough decisions to make on rezoning.

·         There is legislation in a new Planning Act and subsequent regulations regarding the County Development Plan and timelines.

·         Regeneration and Development funds will be part of bidding process through such schemes as CLAR and Towns and Villages works. As more information becomes available, it will be circulated to all members.

The Chief Executive said that as a Council we have to have policy context for all that we do. We are now included in a framework and that is what this policy document is. Accepting that the timeframe to 2040 is a long way off, we now have a plan to work off. This is a very positive document and we got what we set out to achieve in our submission which was to have Athlone as a City or a Regional centre that would feed all neighbouring towns – the detail will come when we bid. He also said that it would be remiss of him not to have acknowledged all those who helped him with regard to the submission on behalf of Roscommon County Council.

In response to concerns raised about the future building of houses in the county, currently no developer incentives to build, demand and possible restriction of one off housing and the possibility of revisiting the county development plan, Mr. Lydon advised that it would be wrong to pre-empt the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES) due early next year. We will be working with the Department to ensure a joint partnership approach.

On the PROPOSAL of Cllr. Ward

              SECONDED by Cllr. Keogh

It was AGREED to write to the Minister for Transportation to propose that the N61 from Athlone to Boyle be upgraded to dual carriage status.