Laois County Development Plan 2021–2027

1. Page 21

   Cite this pagePDF p. 21 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
   Chapter 2 Core and Settlement Strategy 19 | P a g e DATA INDICATOR DESCRIPTION RATIONALE Key town within the Southern Region Assembly areas RSES). Carlow/Graiguecullen has a jobs to resident worker ratio of 0.881. FUNCTION The scale of employment provision and commuting flows; Particular subregional interdependencies and influence The mapping of the Functional Urban Area for Laois has determined the commuter catchment of spread of the influence of the settlement . AIRO has provided this information to Laois County Council which indicates the FUA for Portlaoise, Tullamore, Carlow and Kildare. This information has informed the settlement hierarchy. The Commuter data for Laois shows us which towns within the settlement hierarchy are commuter based and which are self sustaining. Co Laois is particularly fortunate to have a high level of rail infrastructure which has made commuting from the county a strong feature a sustainable manner. The settlement strategy has justified the settlement status of each town based on their assets and in line with the settlement typologies in the RSES. The Retail Hierarchy for Co Laois has taken into account the RSES designations, Retail Planning Guidelines and a review of the Retail Strategy 2017-2023 has been carried out. The designated settlements within the County Settlement Strategy already provide a good mix of convenience and comparison shopping and this is reflected in the plans for each of the towns in the County. PLACEMAKING This is linked to ‘Functionality’ in terms of provision of suitable sites and property solutions to meet enterprise and labour force expectations Quality of life factors are important in how well a place functions and in attracting people to live, invest, work and visit in. Access to a range of amenities such as cultural, social , health , education, etc are integral to the successful development of any town or village. A review of all assets in this regard for each town and village was carried out to inform their placement on the hierarchy. In relation to Portlaoise – the Key Town – Midland Hosital Portlaoise provides an

2. Page 22

   Cite this pagePDF p. 22 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
   Chapter 2 Core and Settlement Strategy 20 | P a g e DATA INDICATOR DESCRIPTION RATIONALE important health care function for the town and its hinterland stretching beyond the county boundary. Additional to this primary health care centres provide important services and are located in Portarlington at Kilnacourt House and Mountmellick. The pobal HP Deprivation Index which measures the affluence and disadvantage in the County has been mapped to ascertain the current position and where potential areas for investment exist. In relation to improving places within the county, leveraging Urban Regeneration Development Funding (URDF) has proved successful for Portlaoise in terms of transitioning to a low carbon town and also celebrating its heritage and reimaging a Cultural Quarter within Portlaoise Town Centre. Rural Regeneration Development Funding (RRDF) is also applicable to the towns of the county with populations less than 10,000 people. Other streams of funding utilized to improve places within the County are Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS) and funding from Laois Partnership through the Local Community Development Committee. ENTERPRISE ECOSYSTEM The availability of economic development assets and clusters The location of strategic employment opportunities is guided by the location of existing economic opportunities upon which to develop. To this end, in Portlaoise J17 National Enterprise Park (Togher) is a substantial land bank for future job creation, given its location on the M7/M8. Other opportunities exist in Portarlington adjoining the Railway station – the former Avon Lands. Other Strategic employment zones have been identified in locations across the settlement strategy appropriate to the scale and function of the town and services required.

3. Page 23

   Cite this pagePDF p. 23 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
   Chapter 2 Core and Settlement Strategy 21 | P a g e DATA INDICATOR DESCRIPTION RATIONALE CONNECTIVITY Transport accessibility and trip profiles, including internal trips County Laois is serviced by 3 rail stations at Portarlington, Portlaoise and Ballybrophy which connects the county with both north south routes and east west in Portarlington. In particular the Key Town of Portlaoise is progressing public bus and rail improvements to service the town and Graiguecullen in relation to connecting in with the bus and rail in Carlow Town. Walking and cycling are key objectives for each of the towns within the settlement strategy. NATURAL CAPITAL Environmental sensitivities, resources and assets, Water quality, flood risk The natural capital within the county such as • Designated sites • Non designated sites • Green infrastructure • Ground water extraction • Peatlands and forested areas The baseline information for the County used in the context of developing the SEA / AA/ SFRA has informed the development of the settlement hierarchy and the growth of each town and village. Strategic Flood Risk Assessment has interrogated zoning maps to ensure measures are put in place to protect such zones. The potential of areas to respond to climate change actions in terms of energy and waste has also been considered and informs the strategy. INFRASTRUCTURE Current and planned infrastructure capacity Water services and Irish water data in relation to capacities and future potential and investment have been used to inform the growth of settlements. Many of the towns have routes for roads objectives for future development and specifically local transport plans will further inform the capacity of the towns and villages and look at integrating all forms of transport in a sustainable manner.

4. Page 24

   Cite this pagePDF p. 24 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
   Chapter 2 Core and Settlement Strategy 22 | P a g e 2.4.2 SETTLEMENT HIERARCHY FOR LAOIS In developing a settlement hierarchy for County Laois, an Asset Based Approach similar to that used in the preparation of the RSES was adopted (as indicated in Section 2.3). This amended version identifies and builds on a combination of social, economic and natural assets and potential that is available within towns and smaller settlements in the County. This has also been informed by the criteria listed in the Hierarchy of Settlements and related Infrastructure considered by NPF. Table 2.4: Settlement Hierarchy for Laois SETTLEMENT TYPOLOGY DESCRIPTION SETTLEMENTS POPULATION 2016 KEY TOWNS Large economically active service and/or county towns that provide employment for their surrounding areas and with highquality transport links and the capacity to act as growth drivers to complement the Regional Growth Centres. Portlaoise 22050 Graiguecullen 4692 SELF- SUSTAINING GROWTH TOWNS Self-Sustaining Growth Towns with a moderate level of jobs and services – includes sub-county market towns and commuter towns with good transport links and capacity for continued commensurate growth to become more self- sustaining Portarlington 6,596 (8,368 total including Offaly side) SELF- SUSTAINING TOWNS Self-Sustaining Towns with high levels of population growth and a weak employment base which are reliant on other areas for employment and/or services and which require targeted ‘catch up’ investment to become more selfsustaining. Mountmellick 4777 Abbeyleix 1770 Stradbally 1350 Mountrath 1774 Durrow 835

5. Page 25

   Cite this pagePDF p. 25 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
   Chapter 2 Core and Settlement Strategy 23 | P a g e TOWNS AND VILLAGES Towns and villages with local service and employment functions Rathdowney 1271 Ballylinan 1101 VILLAGES (Pop > 500) Villages that serve their local area Clonaslee 566 Killenard 671 Ballyroan 563 Borris In Ossory 508 RURAL REMAINDER (including villages with population <500) 36173 2.5 LAOIS CORE STRATEGY MAP The Core Strategy Map (Map 2.2) provides a visual representation of the settlement distribution throughout the county and identifies the settlement hierarchy in the context of transport and infrastructure available, including the county’s national primary and secondary routes along with regional and local roads and the county’s railway line.

6. Page 26

   Cite this pagePDF p. 26 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
   Chapter 2 Core and Settlement Strategy 24 | P a g e Map 2.2: Core Strategy Map 2.5.1 RURAL TYPOLOGIES As required by the Core Strategy Guidance 2010, the Core Strategy must contain the classification of differing rural area types in map format in accordance with the 2005 Planning Guidelines on sustainable rural housing, which has been included in the Core Strategy Map. This classification is also an important factor in facilitating the development rural one off dwellings in the countryside in accordance with National Policy Objective 19 of the RSES – [Ensure, in providing for the development of rural housing, that a distinction is made between areas under strong urban influence, ie, within the commuter catchment of cities and large towns and centres of employment, and elsewhere], which is discussed in Chapter 4 on rural housing policy and indicated in Map 2.2 Core Strategy Map. Rural area typologies where established by analysing data for each Electoral Division against a range of criteria including, commuting patterns, planning applications for rural housing over the past 3 years, environmental sensitivity, population change and pobal deprivation indices. In County Laois the following rural housing area designations apply: • Areas under Strong Urban Influence Those rural areas within easy commuting distance of the main urban centres in County Laois and adjacent counties including the GDA3 which are experiencing pressure from the 3Greater Dublin Area

7. Page 27

   Cite this pagePDF p. 27 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
   Chapter 2 Core and Settlement Strategy 25 | P a g e development of urban generated housing in the open countryside. These areas are essentially:- • The north and eastern areas in the County • National, Strategic Regional Routes and Regional Routes as defined in Chapter 10 Continued high levels of single rural houses in these locations would inhibit the growth of the County’s urban areas which would result in a failure to achieve the growth targets. It would also cause further deterioration of rural amenities. The key development plan objectives in these areas seeks to facilitate the genuine housing requirements of the rural community as identified by the planning authority in the light of local conditions while on the other hand directing urban generated development to areas zoned for new housing development in towns and villages. • Structurally Weak Areas The rural areas generally exhibit characteristics such as persistent and significant population decline as well as a weaker economic structure based on indices of income, employment and economic growth. These rural areas are more distant from the major urban areas and the associated pressure from urban generated housing. 2.6 POPULATION PROJECTIONS TO MEET REGIONAL POPULATION TARGETS According to the 2016 Census the total population of Laois is 84,697, an increase of 5.1% or 4,138 persons in the five year period since the 2011 Census – this was the 5th highest rate of growth in the state. The highest rates of growth in the state were recorded in Fingal (8.8%) and Meath (5.9%). The level of growth in Laois was significantly above the state average of 3.8% and slightly below the Eastern and Midland Regional Authority (EMRA) of 5.4%. A detailed analysis of population growth can be found in Section 3.1 of the Housing Strategy in Appendix 3. Table 2.5: NPF / RSES Population Targets to 2026 and 2031 Census 2016 2026 NPF / RSES Target 2031 NPF / RSES Target EMRA Region 2,329,000 2,566,500-2,619,000 2,668,000-2,740,500 Midlands 292, 500 318,500-324,500 329,500-337,000 Laois 84,647 92,000-94,500 95,500-97,500 Source: Implementation Roadmap for NPF: Appendix 2 2.6.1 APPROACH The approach to realise the population target as set out in the NPF implementation roadmap for County Laois, in its key towns and other settlements and rural area is set out in a robust evidence based analysis on requirements, completions / delivery and the social and physical capacity of the County’s settlements. This was done by analyzing the capacity of the all the towns and villages throughout the county to ascertain where future growth could be supported and informed by the following: (i) NPF and RSES guidance;

8. Page 28

   Cite this pagePDF p. 28 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
   Chapter 2 Core and Settlement Strategy 26 | P a g e (ii) Existing population and other demographics relating to the county; (iii) Planning history and levels of activity on sites / completions of development; (iv) Availability of infrastructure within each settlement; (v) SEA / AA/ SFRA recommendations; (vi) Environmental constraints; (vii) Regeneration opportunities within settlements through identification of areas of dereliction/ vacancy, etc; (viii) Potential for economic and social development; (ix) Proposals for climate action in national, regional and local contexts. 2.6.2 POPULATION TRENDS Within Laois, the County saw a population increase of 5.1% (+4,138 persons) during this period, as the population increased to 84,697 from 80,559. The level of growth in Laois was significantly above the state average of 3.8% and slightly below the Eastern and Midland Regional Authority (EMRA) of 5.4%. The County has had a steady growth of population since 1991. And even though the growth rates increased considerably over the 1996-2006 and 2006-2011, it dropped from 20.1% in 2011 to 5.1% in 2016 resulting in a slight growth of the population. Table 2.6 Population Growth in County Laois 1996 - 2016 Year 1996 2002 2006 2011 2016 Population 52,945 58,774 67,059 80,559 84,697 Actual Change - 5,829 8,285 13,500 4,138 % Change - 11.0 14.1 20.1 5.1 Average Annual Increase - 971 2,071 2,700 827 Source: CSO Statbank According to the CSO’s parameters, a total of 40,979 people (48.3%) were living in urban settlements in Laois in 2016. 43,718 (51.6%) were living in smaller towns and villages, as well as in the rural remainder of the County. In 2011, census results showed a distribution between the urban and rural population as 47.3% and 52.6% respectively. Thus, Laois is slightly becoming more urban in nature as a whole. The change in the population between successive Census can be broken down into the combined effect of natural increase (births less deaths) and net migration (immigration less emigration). The table below presents the components of intercensal population change back to 2002, which indicates the overall trend of the components align with the State. While the birth and death rates defining the natural growth of the population are close to the State figures over this period, the migration variation is above the Irish national average and is pushing the rate of population change in the County above the national figure. Within the County, except for the period of 2006-2011 where drastic fluctuations occurred, the overall trend of the components of population change shows a decline since 2002, which indicates that population is increasing with a slower growth rate.

9. Page 29

   Cite this pagePDF p. 29 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
   Chapter 2 Core and Settlement Strategy 27 | P a g e Table 2.7: Components of Population Change COMPONENT 2002 2006 2011 2016 Change in Pop since previous Census 5829 8285 13500 4138 Births since previous Census 4630 3835 6701 6123 Natural Increase since previous Census 1900 2300 4703 3888 Net Migration since previous Census 3929 5985 8797 250 Birth rate since previous Census (Avg. Annual Rate per 1000) 13.8 15.2 18.2 14.8 Death Rate since previous Census (Avg. Annual Rate per 1000) 8.1 6.1 5.4 5.4 Rate of Natural Increase since previous Census (Avg. Annual Rate per 1000) 5.7 32.9 12.7 9.4 Rate of Change in Population since previous Census (Avg. Annual Rate per 1000) 17.4 9.1 36.6 10 Rate of Net Migration since previous Census (Avg. Annual Rate per 1000) 11.7 23.8 23.8 0.6 Source CSO Statbank 2.6.3 POPULATION PROJECTIONS A number of population scenarios for County Laois have been investigated to 2031, including two “Non-intervention Scenarios” relying upon growth rate of the population over the previous 5-year intercensal period. These non-intervention scenarios utilise a projection of population developed using the Cohort Component Method (CCM). They are called ‘Non-Intervention’ as they do not assume a policy-based interaction on the modeled trajectory of population growth across Laois as required by the NPF and RSES. CCM is used internationally as the best-inclass methodology for demographic projection, including by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) to produce the Irish National and Regional population and labour force projections. It closely examines the interactions between the three key components driving changes in the population: mortality, fertility and migration. Details of these scenarios are summarised in Section 3.1.5 of the Housing Strategy in Appendix 3. Policy-Intervention Scenario The total projected population growth for County Laois for the period 2016-2027 is 10,003, from 84,697 to 94,700. The population projections of this Plan are based on a policy intervention scenario where the NPF/RSES population targets are used as the fixed variables and then an interpolation of the required level of change per annum was developed for the County from baseline year 2016 to NPF/RSES target years 2026 and 2031; thus, producing annualised figures over the period of 2021 and 2027 which is the lifetime of the Development Plan. Projections in this scenario indicates that the population of County Laois would increase to 89,349 by 2021 and to 94,700 by 2027, an increase of 6280.

10. Page 30

    Cite this pagePDF p. 30 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
    Chapter 2 Core and Settlement Strategy 28 | P a g e Table 2.8: Projected Population Growth Over the Plan Period based upon NPF/RSES 2021 and 2031 Targets Year Total Population in County Laois Annual Population Increase during Year Annual Population Increase 2021-2027 Total Population Increase 2021-2027 Total Population Increase 2016-2027 2006 67,059 14.10% - - - 2011 80,559 20.10% - - - 2016 84,697 5.10% - - - 2017 85,627 1.10% 930 - - 2018 86,558 1.10% 930 - - 2019 87,488 1.10% 930 - - 2020 88,418 1.10% 930 - - 2021 89,349 1.10% 930 - - 2022 90,279 1.10% 930 - - 2023 91,209 1.10% 930 - - 2024 92,139 1.10% 930 - - 2025 93,070 1.10% 930 - - 2026 94,000 1.10% 930 - - 2027 94,700 0.74% 700 6,280 10,000 2028 95,400 0.74% 700 - - 2029 96,100 0.74% 700 - - 2030 96,800 0.74% 700 - - 2031 97,500 0.74% 700 - - A further breakdown of population targets by settlement is indicated in the Core Strategy Table in Section 2.8.1. 2.7 HOUSING REQUIREMENT This section sets out key considerations in relation to residential land requirements for this Plan period as set out in the NPF and RSES. The NPF notes that the concept of headroom based solely on zoned land provision does not account for housing yield arising from the reuse of existing housing stock, mixed-use development, urban intensification or infill or brownfield development. Indeed, projected population growth must be planned in accordance with NPF National Policy Objectives 3a, b and c, which target infill and brownfield development within the existing built footprint of urban settlements, in particular the objective to target at

Source Laois County Council: Laois County Development Plan 2021–2027 (2021–2027) · 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.