Senior Planner Mary Grier presented a two year progress report on the County Development Plan (CDP), which was adopted by members on 8/3/2022 and became effective on 29/4/2022.  This is a legislative requirement of all CDPs.

 

The report consists of three elements as circulated:

·         Main report - a main analysis of progress since the plan’s adoption.

·         Appendix 1 - summary of progress on 475 policy objectives.

·         Appendix 2 - Strategic Environmental Assessment Interim Monitoring Report.

 

Key Points delivered by Ms. Grier:

·         The county’s population has increased as recorded by census in 2022, in most of the main settlements.

·         A cornerstone of the CDP was derived from evidence based, strategic planning for the future, projecting housing unit demand and residential zoned land requirements as a consequence.

 

·         Residential Permissions between April 2022 and 2024

 

Residential Unit Type	No of Permissions Granted	% of Residential  Related Permissions
Singal Rural Dwellings (Greenfield)	133	39.4%
Single Rural Dwellings (Infill/brownfield)	25	7.4%
Change of Use (Single Rural Dwellings)	6	1.8%
Change of Use (Single Urban Dwellings)	6	1.8%
Single Urban Dwelling (Infill/brownfield)	9	2.7%
Multi-use Residential (Greenfield)	1	0.3%
Multi-use Residential (Infill/brownfield)	13	3.8%
Residential Extensions/ Refurbishments	144	42.7%

 

 

·         There has been significant uptake on refurbishment of properties due to the new Croí Conaithe Scheme.

 

·         Progress report on the local areas plans currently under consideration:

o   Athlone Joint Urban Area Plan is pre-draft phase post public consultation.  Tender is being prepared for consultants.

o   Carrick-on-Shannon Joint Local Area Plan, strategic issues paper has gone to public consultation in Q4 2023.  Preparation of draft plan is ongoing.

o   Roscommon Town Local Area Plan, public consultation complete, The Chief Executive report is with MD members. 

o   The Boyle Local Area Plan has been paused and is currently at the pre-draft phase.

 

·         People, Places and Housing – significant number of approved applications are for one-off houses.

o   In respect of planning considerations where areas are under urban influence, planning was granted for 67 dwellings or 51% of all applications.

o   In respect of locations considered as rural areas, 66 dwellings or 49% of all applications were granted in the same period.

 

·         Rural Development - there had been a reasonable proportion of planning applications and permissions granted for agricultural led development, with a considerable volume of exempted development applications.

 

·         Economic Development –  between the 2016 and 2022 census there has been increases in manufacturing industrial activity by 15%, transport and communications industries by 38%, while there was 24% increase in building and construction projects.  Significant new floor space has been granted in Roscommon, largely in Roscommon Town, also in Ballaghaderreen and Hodson Bay.

 

·         Towns and Villages – focus on placemaking and regeneration.

o   Boyle Library/Ballaghaderreen Public Realm/ Strokestown Public Realm/ Castlerea Food Hub/ MIH/ An Rioga/ Roscommon Public Realm.

 

·         Social and Community Facilities – significant growth in applications put forward. 66 permissions granted for sporting facilities, e.g. GAA/Astroturf, walking tracks.  11 permissions granted for Education facilities. 

 

 

Members broadly welcomed the plan. The following enquiries and points were made:

·         An enquiry about the Planning and Development Bill 2023 that states CDPs will cover 10 years, with review every 5 years.

·         An enquiry why Castlerea Enterprise Hub was not featured on the Economic Development section of the report.

·         It was enquired when the Draft Joint Area Plan for Athlone will be ready.

·         It was enquired if there would be any reviews of rural housing design guidelines.  There are concerns on requirements of same.

·         It was enquired if the zone of urban influence can be reviewed, querying whether it accurately reflects the needs of Roscommon for rural development of housing.

·         It was asked that 8km or 10km of radius be considered, to enable persons from that catchment to be granted planning permission to build their own home.

·         Concerns were raised on newer house designs, whether they were standing up to the test of time.

·         Long-term leasing of lands should be considered as sustainable farming for the purposes of planning requests, highlighting the need for provision of services for agriculture in rural areas.

·         Planning criteria in rural areas shouldn’t be limited by distances but rather on the place where the applicant was from.  This was advised to go to the SPC for consideration.

·         Government exemptions for new builds should be extended, to encourage more building.

·         It was asked when planning restrictions would be lifted on the route off the old N5 Dublin to Westport Road.

·         It was stated that the backlands in towns offered considerable development potential, and many buildings in towns were in a poor state of disrepair.

·         The requirement for provision of rural bus stops on the Rural Link bus routes was asked about, to allow more frequent pick up along the route. 

·         The matter of lack of childcare across the county was also raised.

·         The Cathaoirleach advised €500,000 had been allocated by the National Transport Authority (NTA) in respect of bus stops.

·         It was enquired what was the standing or authority of old area plans.

·         Greater effort was needed to help people acquire planning in rural areas to support farm development, and encourage people to work in the services sector.

·         It was enquired if there was any update on pre-planning meetings with applicants.

·         An update was requested on the status of the lands that were frozen for development for the proposed Knockcroghery bypass.

·         It was asked in reference to unsafe protected structures, whether there is an obligation on the local authority to make the buildings safe, or support the property owners to apply for funding to make building safe.

·         It was stated there was very little multi-house development in the county with a consequent need to facilitate planning of once off or two-off housing plans.

·         It was requested that the interpretation of intrinsic rural link in the County Development plan be reconsidered, as the current interpretation is too restrictive.  It was requested whether this matter could be addressed in the CPG, as the SPCs are not yet formed, and it will be a number of months before they are in place.

·         As part of the discussion, it was proposed by a member that external advice is sought for support in planning considerations. 

·         Shane Tiernan, Chief Executive responded directly on this matter clarifying that under the Local Government Act it is the duty of the Executive of Roscommon County Council to advise Elected Members in line with the legislative framework and public policy in relation to all policy areas.  He outlined that there are qualified planners in the Council who develop the County and Local Development Plans.   The Executive is obliged to adhere to planning code and legislation, as well as complying with recommendations from the Office of the Planning Regulator in delivering the best plans for the economic, social and cultural growth of Co. Roscommon.  Mr Tiernan stressed there is no requirement for additional external resource in this regard.

 

 

Acting Director of Services Greg O’Donnell responded as follows:

·         Strict national guidelines are in place regarding rural planning, this must be adhered to.  The Council couldn’t encourage once-off rural homes, but endeavours to support people with connections to build in their local area.

·         The points made by members will be brought forward to the SPC and the review of the CDP.

·         The old N5 will revert to local primary road, and once that happens the relevant planning guidelines will apply.

·         The Council’s objective was to encourage development in the backlands of towns.

·         Funding of €500,000 had been received from NTA for bus stops for existing locations.

·         It was the desire of the planning office to have pre-planning meetings with applicants, subject to available staffing.

·         They would communicate with the Regional Roads Design Office regarding lands frozen along the proposed route for the Knockcroghery bypass.  It is likely this will remain, as there is still potential to deliver this project, although funding not yet secured.

·         The management team will review whether that it is possible whether the interpretation of intrinsic rural link be reconsidered, and will revert to the members on same.

 

 

Senior Planner, Mary Grier responded as follows:

·         The Planning and Development Bill is due to be enacted in Autumn 2024.  The review of the current CPD will be in another 2 years.  She advised that the Revised National Planning Framework is under consultation, and will likely require variations to the existing CDP.

·         Castlerea Enterprise Hub was not mapped as part of the report process as planning had been approved before the period of the CDP.

·         The CDP process is currently a 6 year cycle.  There is this 2 Year Progress Report, and then review of the plan commences in Year 4.  The review process is the start of the development of the new CDP.

·         The Athlone Joint Area Plan is at pre-draft stage.  A tender has been developed to secure consultants to deliver the plan.  Once the tender process is completed, there will be a timeline on development of the draft plan.

·         Design guidelines were produced in 2018, this was the first time Roscommon had design guidelines.  Design guidelines allow a significant degree of expression depending on landscape. 

·         Planning in villages is not subject to rural housing policy.

·         Zone A and Zone B are accurate, based on National Planning Framework.

·         The pre-planning process is currently temporarily paused, due to staffing resources.  That is still the current situation.  It is expected that pre-planning meetings will resume.  On average 210-220 pre-planning meetings are held per annum.

·         Following the conclusion of works on the new Ballaghaderreen to Scramoge bypass, the existing N5 will be downgraded, enabling wider planning considerations for applicants.

·         Local Area Plans for Castlerea, Ballaghaderreen, Strokestown, Elphin, ceased on the publication of the CDP. Vol II of CPD has settlement plans for these settlements – these are in effect now.

·         Work will begin on a new Boyle Area Plan.

·         The advice delivered by planning officials in the development of the CDP sets out obligations that have to be complied with.  The OPR run training for elected members, and this may be considered.  The advice provided is the appropriate advice for members, and the planning section have endeavoured to assist members in that regard.

 

 

The Chief Executive stated:

·         88% of all planning applications were approved by the planning section in the first 6 months of 2024 (National Average 87%).

·         The number of invalidations is down from 37% to 21% (National Average 18%).

·         The planning system in Roscommon is very solid and progressive, in supporting the growth of Roscommon.

 

 

It was PROPOSED by Cllr. Naughton

SECONDED by Cllr. Keogh

and AGREED that Roscommon County Council review and consider planning permission is granted to build one-off houses in rural areas within a 10km radius of their place of origin or home.  This matter is to be considered in the Planning SPC.

 

It was PROPOSED by Cllr. Fallon

SECONDED by Cllr. Keogh

and AGREED that it is considered that long-term lease of agricultural land is seen as a commitment to agriculture, in a similar way to 5 years farming is, for the purposes of planning permission.  This matter is to be considered in the Planning SPC.

 

It was PROPOSED by Cllr. Crosby

SECONDED by Cllr. Moylan

and AGREED that a letter is sent to the Minister for Housing to request an extension of at least 2 years, of exemptions on development charges and Irish Water charges for new developments in Co. Roscommon.