County Donegal Development Plan 2024–2030 (As Varied)

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   County Donegal Development Plan 2024-2030 (As Varied)

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   Special Notes 1. Draft Ministerial Direction The County Donegal Development Plan, 2024-2030 was adopted by Resolution of Members on 16th May, 2024. In accordance with Section 12(17) of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 (As Amended) (‘the Act’) the Plan shall have effect 6 weeks after the day that it is made i.e. 26th June, 2024. On 26th June 2024 the Minister of State for Local Government and Planning issued a ‘Notice of Intention to Issue a Direction’ to the Planning Authority under Section 31 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 (As Amended) (‘the Act’) (available on www.donegaldevplan.ie). The Draft Direction addresses a key national road access policy in the County Development Plan (Policy T-P-12); a number of parcels of land in the Area Plans for Buncrana and Ballybofey/Stranorlar; and changes to the Proposed Material Alterations to a number of Settlement Frameworks boundaries. These matters, in accordance with Section 31(6) of the Act, ‘shall not have effect’, notwithstanding their inclusion in the Plan as adopted by the Council and pending the issuing of the Minister’s Final Direction. Please note that all sections highlighted in yellow in this Plan are the subject of the Draft Ministerial Direction. For more information refer to www.donegaldevplan.ie or consult.donegal.ie. 2. Variation (No. 1) to the County Development Plan 2024-2030 Variation (No. 1) to the County Development Plan 2024-2030 was made by the Elected Members at the Council meeting of the 27th of July 2026. It came into effect on the same day and includes (in summary): • New Area Plans for An Clochán Liath, Ballyshannon, Bridgend, Carndonagh, Donegal Town and Killybegs and associated Local Transport Plans. • Amendments to the Buncrana Area Plan, the Letterkenny Plan, and the Ballybofey/Stranorlar Area Plan. • Amendments to Settlement Frameworks for Laghy, Ardara, Creeslough, Dunfanaghy, Culdaff, Gleneely, Manorcunningham, and Newtowncunningham, a new Clachan for Drumoghill, and various other policy changes.

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   Contents Part A 1. Introduction 1 2. Vision and Ambition 5 3. Core Strategy 17 4. Climate Change 31 5. Towns and Villages 37 6. Housing 57 7. Economic Development 95 8. Infrastructure 119 9. Natural Resource Development 177 10. Tourism 191 11. Natural, Built, and Archaeological Heritage 203 12. Community Development 233 13. An Ghaeltacht 249 14. Marine Resource, Coastal Management, and the Islands 255 15. Public Rights of Way 271 16. Technical Standards 293 Appendix A: Record of Protected Structures 311 Appendix B: Map 9.2.1 Wind Energy Sieve Mapping Analysis 363 Appendix C: Section 28 Statement 393 Part B 17. General Introduction to Area Plans 401 18. Buncrana Area Plan 2024-2030 411 19. Ballybofey/Stranorlar Area Plan 2024-2030 457 20. Bundoran Area Plan 2024-2030 491 21. An Clochán Liath Area Plan 513 22. Ballyshannon Area Plan 543 23. Bridgend Area Plan 579 24. Carndonagh Area Plan 603 25. Donegal Town Area Plan 645 26. Killybegs Area Plan 683 Part C 27. Settlement Frameworks 723

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   County Donegal Development Plan 2024-2030 (As Varied) 2 Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 1 – Introduction 1.1 Background The County Development Plan is the principal land use planning strategy document for County Donegal and sets out a vision for the sustainable future development of the County together with objectives and policies designed to achieve this vision. The key roles of the Development Plan are summarised in Fig. 1.1 below. Figure 1. 1: Key roles of County Development Plan (reproduced from Development Plan Guidelines for Planning Authorities,2022) The Plan must incorporate a Housing Strategy and Retail Strategy, align with the Council’s Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP), and have regard to and help shape the capital programmes of both the Council and Irish Water. This County Development Plan incorporates detailed plans for the towns of Buncrana, Ballybofey/Stranorlar and Bundoran (see Part B, Chapters 17, 18, 19, and 20). Variation No.1 amongst other things introduced further Town Area Plans for An Clochán Liath, Ballyshannon, Bridgend, Carndonagh, Donegal Town and Killybegs and associated Local Transport Plans. These Plans are consistent with the objectives of the County Development Plan but allow for more detailed consideration of local-level issues within the settlements concerned.

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   County Donegal Development Plan 2024-2030 (As Varied) 3 Chapter 1 Introduction The Plan must demonstrate strong alignment with European policy and national and regional policy, most notably the National Planning Framework (NPF) and Ministerial Planning Guidelines issued under Section 28 of the Act, and the Northern and Western Regional Assembly’s Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES). Where relevant, the Chapters of the Plan identify the most pertinent policies/requirements contained in these documents including: - at the national level, NPF National Planning Objectives (NPO’s) and ‘Specific Planning Policy Requirements’ contained in Ministerial Section 28 Guidelines; and - at the Regional level, Regional Policy Objectives (RPO’s). Figure 1.2: Planning Policy Hierarchy and Key Inputs (reproduced from Development Plan Guidelines for Planning Authorities,2022) The statutory period of the Plan is a maximum of six years in accordance with Section 9 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 (As Amended) [’the Act’]. For this reason, the Core Strategy identifies sufficient lands to accommodate projected housing need for the six-year horizon. However, Donegal County Council has longer-term strategic ambitions for the County beyond this statutory six-year period and the Plan therefore also supports these ambitions in broad terms without exceeding the aforementioned statutory parameters in terms of housing land supply and so on.

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   County Donegal Development Plan 2024-2030 (As Varied) 4 Chapter 1 Introduction

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   County Donegal Development Plan 2024-2030 (As Varied) 5

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   County Donegal Development Plan 2024-2030 (As Varied) 6 Chapter 2 Vision and Ambition Chapter 2 – Vision & Ambition 2.1 Strategic Ambition The ambition of Donegal County Council is to grow the population of the County to upwards of 200,000 people by 2040. This ambition is framed in the context of the recognition in the NPF and the RSES of the critical role the north-west of the island of Ireland has to play in achieving balanced regional growth. Central to this ambition is a commitment to work towards the delivery of a climate resilient, healthy, culturally inclusive, connected, innovative and economically vibrant place that ensures an excellent quality of life for all of Donegal’s citizens. Two overarching strategies are identified as being key drivers of such growth. 2.2 North-West City Region The North-West City Region is a cross-border partnership between local and central government in both Ireland and Northern Ireland realising the full development potential of the region and acting as a strong driver of economic growth reflective of the regional the priorities of the North West Strategic Growth Partnership. The North-West City Region identifies the following three regional pillars of growth that are reflected in the objectives and policies of the Plan: i. Economic Growth and Investment ii. Physical and Environmental Development iii. Social and Community Cohesion and Wellbeing. Donegal has a unique geopolitical position sharing 90% of its land border with Northern Ireland yet maintains strong and essential economic, workforce, infrastructural, health, educational, community and environmental cross border linkages. The shared region has Letterkenny, Derry and Strabane at its core supported by several smaller towns and villages. The wider functional region has the 4th highest population concentration of 350,000 and 193,106 of these within Letterkenny, Derry and Strabane. There are over 35,000 in higher education, and 39% of the work force have a level 3 or above qualification rising to 43% when those with apprenticeships are included. The importance and primacy of the strategic growth of the North-west City Region is reflected in the following Policy Objectives of both the National Planning Framework and the Regional Economic and Spatial Strategy for the Northern Western Border Region.

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    County Donegal Development Plan 2024-2030 (As Varied) 7 Chapter 2 Vision and Ambition

Source Donegal County Council: County Donegal Development Plan 2024–2030 (As Varied) (2024–2030) · Licence the publisher's termsText read from the publisher’s PDF; tables, maps and drawings do not survive as text, and page numbers are the PDF’s (its first page is 1). Check the original before relying on a passage.