Development plan · Leitrim County Council
Leitrim County Development Plan 2023–2029
The council's development plan written statement: its strategy, policies, objectives and development standards.
Leitrim County Council · 2023–2029 · 398 pages
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- 6.3 Revitalising Small Towns and Villages 6.3.1 Funding Opportunities There are a variety of funding streams available with the aim of improving towns and villages by revitalising areas and focussing on placemaking. 6.3.2 The Urban Regeneration and Development Fund The Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), launched in 2018, is a ten year national programme to support compact sustainable development through the regeneration of Ireland’s cities and large towns. It aims to regenerate urban areas by facilitating the redevelopment of the existing built fabric of settlements in order to strengthen and support towns and cities as attractive and vibrant destinations where people choose to live and work, as well as to invest and visit. The URDF has an overall allocation of €2 billion to 2027. The types of proposals eligible for funding include: ● strategic development areas ● active land management ● measures to address building vacancy and refurbishment ● public realm improvements ● enabling infrastructure ● sustainable mobility ● transition to low carbon and climate resilience 6.3.3 The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) was established in 2018 to support job creation in rural areas, address de-population of rural communities and support improvements in towns and villages with a population of less than 10,000 people, and outlying areas. The Government have committed €1billion to be invested in rural Ireland over the period 2019 to 2027. 6.3.4 The Town and Village Renewal Scheme The Town and Village Renewal Scheme is a key initiative under the Action Plan for Rural Development and is part of a range of measures to support the revitalisation of rural Ireland under the Government’s Project Ireland 2040 Rural Regeneration Programme. Towns and villages are at the heart of our rural communities and can play an important role in revitalising rural Ireland. Its aim is to rejuvenate Ireland’s rural towns and villages to make them more attractive places in which to live, work and visit. The 2021 scheme will, in particular, support projects that aid the economic and social recovery of towns and villages in response to COVID-19. 6.3.5 The Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme The Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme plays an important part in strengthening rural economies and communities as part of one of the strategic objectives of the Government’s Project Ireland 2040 strategy for rural communities by providing funding for the development of new outdoor recreational infrastructure and for the necessary maintenance, enhancement or promotion of existing outdoor recreational infrastructure in rural areas across Ireland. The scheme supports sporting and recreational pursuits that avail of the natural assets of the countryside and contribute to healthy active lifestyles and the economic and tourism potential of the area. The 2021 scheme will, in particular, support recreational infrastructure that not only provides an outlet for the communities in which they are situated but that also delivers added value from a tourism perspective, positioning rural areas to respond to the post COVID-19 economic environment. LEITRIM COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2023-2029 – VOLUME I 131 6 Urban Settlements
- 6.3.6 CLÁR Programme (Ceantair Laga Árd- Riachtanais) The CLÁR programme is funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development with delivery through Local Authorities in consultation with local community groups. Funding is provided for smallscale infrastructural projects in rural areas with the aim of creating stronger rural economies and communities by supporting sustainable development and attracting people to live and work there. The funding works in conjunction with local match funding and on the basis of locally identified priorities. The 2021 supports provided through CLÁR have been tailored to help rural communities to respond to the new COVID-19 environment and includes the addition of new funding measures. 6.3.7 Community Enhancement Programme (CEP) The CEP was launched in 2018 and provides capital funding to community groups across Ireland. The fund focuses on enhancing the facilities available to communities and supporting groups in disadvantaged areas. 6.4 Pursuit of Town Centre First Approach The sustainable long-term revitalisation of our rural towns and villages will require a more holistic and structured approach by encouraging increased town centre living. This Development Plan therefore advocates the ‘Town Centre First’ approach which seeks to align policies and to target available resources to deliver the best outcomes for town centres. A ‘Town Centre First’ approach encourages all stakeholders - Government Departments, the Local Authority, businesses and communities - to put town centres at the heart of decision making where appropriate. Locating services such as schools or medical services, for example, in town centres rather on the outskirts can help to revitalise the town by increasing footfall and creating a sense of place. The implementation of a strategic approach to town centre regeneration through utilising existing buildings and unused lands for new development, addressing vibrancy and future function while promoting residential occupancy, are all central elements to securing a sustainable future for rural towns and villages. This approach will be supported by a policy framework to bring vacant and derelict buildings back into use and to promote greater levels of residential occupancy along with more active land management to bring about such change. Leitrim County Council will play a leading role in the regeneration and revitalisation of our towns and villages. Continuing to work directly with communities and local businesses, the Council is central to creating the conditions to improve the attractiveness of town and village centres, stimulate business and support residential development. This will be achieved through a range of measures including improvements in the public realm, the provision of civic amenities, the acquisition of strategic sites for development, including through the judicious use of Compulsory Purchase Orders, and the provision of a variety of services. The Council will also seek to maximise the availability of funding programmes to revitalise town centres and by reviewing other options to bring vacant properties back into use for commercial or residential purposes. LEITRIM COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2023-2029 – VOLUME I132 6 Urban Settlements
- 6.5 Supporting Town Centre Living The provision of the additional residential accommodation in rural towns and villages will be required to support the projected population increase provided for in the Core Strategy. More people and families living in, and relying on the services and facilities of, our towns and villages on a daily basis will help to fully revitalise them. The Programme for Government commits to implementing a strategic approach to town centre regeneration and living, through a mix of new housing developments and by utilising existing buildings and unused lands for development. The scale, design and layout of housing in our rural towns and villages should be proportionate and tailored to ensure that development responds to the character, scale and density of a particular settlement. It is also important that a mixed supply of private and social housing is provided. The Programme for Government also commits to providing seed capital to Local Authorities to provide serviced sites to attract people to build their own homes and live in small towns and villages. These opportunities will be pursued by this Local Authority and through the policy framework contained in this Development Plan. Town centre living can also be supported by repurposing suitable vacant properties and encouraging people to live in them. It is accepted that there are a number of issues that must be overcome to seek to promote town centre living - the cost of refurbishing vacant buildings, the lack of a return on investment in terms of final property value, difficulty in identifying property owners, and the need for provision of amenities and services in town centres. It is considered necessary for Government to introduce new supports and incentives for the refurbishment of vacant properties to increase town centre living. The review of the Development Contribution Scheme shall provide an exemption where a change of use proposes to create additional residential units within vacant or derelict/semi derelict buildings. LEITRIM COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2023-2029 – VOLUME I 133 6 Urban Settlements
- 6.6 Healthy Placemaking The economic recession has had a devastating effect on rural towns and villages with high vacancy and dereliction in our towns and villages. As a result, the vitality and viability of these settlements has been adversely affected. Leitrim County Council endeavours to support local businesses in the creation of sustainable jobs that contribute to the economic growth, vibrancy and resilience of these areas. A compact and consolidated core with active street frontage is vital to ensure vibrancy and support existing businesses. The concept of compact development seeks to consolidate towns and villages and facilitate the sustainable revitalisation of the area. In addition to achieving compact growth, it is important that a sense of place is created in the local environment that strengthens the connection between people and the place they live and work. This will improve the interaction people have with local amenities, create a local identity, thereby assisting in building and sustaining a local community. Leitrim County Council pursues an objective to make settlements attractive and healthy places to live with recreational amenities, services and facilities, providing quality of life, and a sense of both place and community. Placemaking relates to the interrelationship and connection between people and the spaces they use. It includes how people move around places, the buildings and structures as well as the open space and landscape of an area and place. It requires a people-centred approach to the planning, design and management of settlements and the built environment. Healthy placemaking seeks to create public spaces that are vibrant, distinctive, safe and accessible and which promote and facilitates social interaction and economic growth. The availability of, and access to, services is key to creating healthier places. This includes access to adequate housing and employment choice, supported by good healthcare and education, quality public realm and access to nature, the arts and cultural heritage. The sustainable refurbishment and redevelopment of underutilised sites in core areas will encourage town centre living and facilitate a range of additional housing choices while maintaining commercial opportunities at ground level. The reuse and regeneration of the existing building stock within the core area, development of brownfield and gap sites and the organic development of villages will create more livable settlements that people want to live, work and spend time in as their place of choice. The Council supports the provision of serviced sites and low-density housing as an alternative to one-off houses. 134 LEITRIM COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2023-2029 – VOLUME I 6 Urban Settlements
- Figure 6.2: What Makes a Place Great? Source: Project for Public Space www.pps.org/article/grplacefeat The quality of the public realm plays a vital role in the creation of a place with an enhanced sense of identity, where people will choose to spend their time and create economic, social and environmental benefits. It gives great scope for public art, community based activities, temporary interventions/events, ‘greening’ of town/village centres with landscaping and the inclusion of creative lighting schemes. The public realm provides the context for highlighting the built heritage of a settlement. Well maintained and presented buildings are also an important component of the public realm as in effect they frame the public realm. There are many attributes to a successful place as detailed in the image above with the overarching categories of sociability; uses and activities; access and linkages; comfort and image. In order to attract consumers into towns and villages, a positive and memorable experience must be created. To assist in improving the sense of place in settlements, the Council has embarked on the preparation of a significant programme of public realm improvements beginning with the towns at the top of the Settlement Hierarchy, namely Carrick-on- Shannon, Manorhamilton and Ballinamore. Funding for these projects has been secured through the URDF and RRDF funds respectively. The next public realm project is earmarked for Mohill, the first of the Tier 2B Support Towns with the Part 8 Public Consultation process having been completed in late 2020. It is intended to implement these plans and other plans within the other Tier 2B Support Towns over the life of this Plan. LEITRIM COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2023-2029 – VOLUME I 135 6 Urban Settlements
- POLICIES PLACE POL 1 To strengthen the role and functions of towns and villages and facilitating development that will rejuvenate these settlements and make them attractive locations in which to live and work. PLACE POL 2 To pursue a ‘Town Centre First’ approach in decision making to target available resources to deliver the best outcomes for town centres. PLACE POL 3 To support the regeneration and repopulation of town centres, through the sustainable reuse of existing buildings including the conversion of the upper floors of buildings into residential use, focusing on dereliction, the appropriate development of infill consolidation site(s), underpinned by good urban design and placemaking principles. A relaxation in development standards will be considered for such projects, where it is sufficiently demonstrated that the development proposal will deliver high quality accommodation. PLACE POL 4 To identify and realise opportunities that will support the regeneration and renewal of all towns and villages, maximising the availability of existing funding programmes. PLACE POL 5 To enhance urban streetscapes by addressing vacancy and dereliction. PLACE POL 6 To enhance the visual amenity of settlements and support improvements in the appearance of streetscapes and revitalising spaces. PLACE POL 7 To encourage and facilitate improvements to the public realm of town and village centres. PLACE POL 8 To provide accessible recreational amenities. PLACE POL 9 To ensure a high standard of shop front design and retention of traditional shop fronts in accordance with the Leitrim County Council Guidelines on Shopfront Design, October 2003 or any replacement Design Guide. OBJECTIVES PLACE OBJ 1 To facilitate the development of a high quality and distinctive built environment creating a sense of place, with attractive, accessible and safe streets, spaces and neighbourhoods. PLACE OBJ 2 To avail of all funding opportunities as they become available to facilitate the enhancement, revitalisation, renewal and regeneration of town and village centres. PLACE OBJ 3 To promote funding streams to refurbish and repurpose vacant properties in town and villages centres as they become available. PLACE OBJ 4 To encourage and support local community groups in initiatives seeking to enhance their town and villages including accessing available funding streams. LEITRIM COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2023-2029 – VOLUME I136 6 Urban Settlements
- 6.7 Compact Growth It is an objective of the NPF and RSES that at least 30% of all new homes will be delivered within or close to the existing built-up areas of settlements with a population of 1,500 persons. This level of compact growth will be pursued in Carrick-on-Shannon, Manorhamilton and Ballinamore to ensure sustainable growth. It is also clear from consideration of the CSO defined boundary of Support Towns and Key Villages, that the majority of sites identified for new residential development are comfortably contained within their respective CSO boundaries. Each settlement is defined by a development boundary where development is encouraged in an orderly sequential manner building outwards from the central core area. This pattern of development maximises existing and future infrastructure provision in a manner that promotes sustainability, active travel and makes more efficient use of underutilised lands. This Plan will continue to support the sequential approach to the delivery of housing with priority in terms of active land management by the Council to pursue the development of infill development opportunities and the regeneration of brownfield sites. Compact growth will be achieved through active land management measures which will include: ● Proactive implementation of the Vacant Site Levy ● The identification of opportunity/underutilised lands ● The identification of potential constraints inhibiting the development of zoned lands ● Ongoing monitoring of the implementation of planning permissions, and ● The use of the full suite of powers provided to the Planning Authority to pursue such an objective including through the judicious use of Compulsory Purchase Orders, if required. POLICY COMPACT POL 1 To facilitate the development of identified Opportunity Sites and underutilised land within the identified boundaries of individual settlements. OBJECTIVES COMPACT OBJ 1 To identify and monitor housing vacancy and develop Action Plans to address vacancy. COMPACT OBJ 2 To implement the provisions of the Vacant Site Levy as a regeneration activation measure. COMPACT OBJ 3 To promote the provision of high-quality and accessible public open spaces and promote linkage with social, cultural and heritage sites and buildings. LEITRIM COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2023-2029 – VOLUME I 137 6 Urban Settlements
- 6.8 Regeneration and Opportunity Sites The Vacant Site Levy was introduced under the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 as a site activation measure to bring vacant and underutilised land in urban areas into beneficial use, while also ensuring a more effective return on State investment by enabling infrastructure and helping to counter unsustainable urban sprawl. The legislation also placed a statutory obligation for all Planning Authorities to identify and establish a register of vacant sites. This site activation measure aims to encourage the release of zoned lands in order to deliver housing at appropriate locations. A variation was made to the County Development Plan 2015- 2023 to incorporate the provisions of the Vacant Site Levy. Whilst the Council has a Vacant Site Register, no site has yet been included therein. Potential exists for a more efficient and effective use of under-utilised and/or vacant sites within core areas of settlements. Section 6.2.4 outlined the categories of site to which a Vacant Site Levy can be applied to pursuant to the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015, namely lands zoned primarily for residential purposes and/ or lands in need of regeneration. For the purposes of this Plan, lands identified with a ‘New Residential’ land use zoning objective or ‘Mixed Use’ land use zoning objective in the specific case of Mohill are the categories of lands zoned primarily for residential purposes to which the provision of the Vacant Sites Levy will apply. Lands in need of regeneration relate to lands identified with Town and Village Centre/Mixed Use zonings within settlements identified in Tiers 1, 2 and 3 of the Settlement Hierarchy as they offer opportunities to sustain and enhance the vitality and viability of town centres and where appropriate to consolidate urban areas. In addition, a number of sites with potential to be developed or redeveloped have been identified as ‘Opportunity Sites’ in the respective Settlement Plans. These sites are considered as regeneration lands in urban settings i.e. vacant sites which ‘exhibit an adverse effect(s) on existing amenities, or reduce the amenity provided by existing public infrastructure and facilities’. The above land use zonings and ‘Opportunity Sites’ may be subject to the provisions of the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 with respect to the Vacant Site Levy for ‘regeneration’ purposes. The individual Settlement Plans are included in Volume II of this Plan. A ‘derelict site’ is defined as any land which detracts, or is likely to detract, to a material degree from the amenity, character or appearance of land in a neighbourhood. Leitrim County Council’s Derelict Sites Register is a record of derelict sites throughout the county. Similar to the Vacant Site Levy, sites on the Derelict Sites Register are liable for a levy on an annual basis. Under the Derelict Sites Act (1990), Leitrim County Council may also serve legal notice requiring works to be carried out to address the state of dereliction. The Council recognises the adverse impacts created by derelict sites, including from visual and environmental perspectives. Improvements to such sites have a tangible and immediate uplifting impact on the surrounding area and can serve to stem a tendency towards the spread of further dereliction. The Council is favourably disposed to working with the owners of vacant, underutilised and derelict sites/buildings to identify new uses. The Council will use its powers as necessary under the Derelict Sites Act 1991 (as amended) and the Housing and Urban Regeneration Act 2015 (as amended) to alleviate such dereliction and decay from our towns and villages. LEITRIM COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2023-2029 – VOLUME I138 6 Urban Settlements
- POLICIES OPP SITE POL 1 To encourage the redevelopment of centrally located vacant and/or underutilised areas within towns and villages. OPP SITE POL 2 To support initiatives that promote the reuse, refurbishment and retrofitting of existing vacant and under utilised buildings within urban centres, including over the shop units, for town centre uses to create compact and vibrant town centres. OPP SITE POL 3 To support the restoration of derelict sites and removal of derelict structures in prominent locations within settlements and adjacent to scenic and tourist routes, using mechanisms such as the Derelict Sites Act 1990. OBJECTIVES OPP SITE OBJ 1 To maintain and populate a Vacant Sites Register for Co. Leitrim in accordance with the provisions of the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 to include Tier 1 – Tier 3 settlements within Co. Leitrim. OPP SITE OBJ 2 To facilitate the implementation of the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015, in particular, by way of utilising site activation measures, including the provision of the Vacant Site Levy, as appropriate to assist in bringing forward vacant and/or underutilised ‘residential’ zoned land in all Tier 1, 2 and 3 centres and ‘mixed use’ lands in Mohill, and ‘regeneration’ land into beneficial use within lands zoned for town/village centre or mixed use within the town boundary of all towns contained within Tier 1 – Tier 3 of the settlement hierarchy for Co. Leitrim. OPP SITE OBJ 3 To implement regeneration activation measures. OPP SITE OBJ 4 To promote and facilitate the habitation of vacant homes in accordance with the Council’s Vacant Homes Action Plan. 139LEITRIM COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2023-2029 – VOLUME I 6 Urban Settlements
- 6.9 Density The Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas, DEHLG (2009) outline sustainable approaches to the development of urban areas. The guidelines recognise that land is a scarce resource that needs to be used efficiently. The Guidelines set out a range of appropriate residential densities for different contexts based on site considerations and the level of access to services and facilities. Densities should take account of the location of a site, the proposed mix of dwelling types and the availability of public transport services. As a general principle, higher densities should be located within walking distance of town centres and high capacity public transport facilities. It is not considered that such high capacity transport facilities are present in any centre of Co. Leitrim including the Key Town of Carrick-on-Shannon. The densities outlined in the Core Strategy table reflects this reality. The number of residential units to be delivered on a site will be determined in relation to the hierarchical status of the settlement within the Council’s Settlement Hierarchy and its capacity for growth and its access to public transport and necessary social infrastructure. Furthermore, the Council acknowledges and encourages higher densities, where appropriate, given the need to reduce CO2 emissions by reducing energy consumption and to support a more efficient use of energy in the residential and transport sectors. Higher densities will be applied to the higher order settlement of Carrick-on-Shannon to align with its role as Key Town within the region, subject to good design and development management standards being met. It is important thereafter that the density of new development in towns and villages is reflective of the existing character and that growth is linked to infrastructural capacity. As such, there will be a graded reduction in residential density for Self-Sustaining Growth Towns, Support Towns, Key Villages and Villages that are commensurate to the existing built environment. It is not intended to prescribe maximum residential density standards in this Plan. The emphasis will be on providing quality-housing environments based on innovation and a design led approach. A high standard of architectural design and layout will be required. The Planning Authority will seek to ensure that new developments have individuality and a sense of place, which is generated by the interaction between the physical characteristics and features of the site and its surroundings and the layout, landscaping and design of the new housing. LEITRIM COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2023-2029 – VOLUME I140 6 Urban Settlements
Source Leitrim County Council: Leitrim County Development Plan 2023–2029 (2023–2029) · 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.