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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- Non-Conforming Uses The Plan acknowledges the existence of existing established uses that do not confirm with the primary land use zoning objective for the area but have been legally established by continuous use for the same purpose prior to 1 October 1964 or by a planning permission. Where extensions or improvements of premises accommodating these uses are proposed, each shall be considered on its merits in accordance with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area and where such development would not seriously injure the amenities of the area. A reasonable expansion of non-conforming uses will generally be accepted notwithstanding the zoning objectives which may apply. The intensification of a non-conforming use will be considered with regard to zoning objectives as well as general planning considerations. Transitional Areas While the land use zoning objectives and zoning matrix indicates the various uses considered acceptable in each land use zone, it is important to avoid abrupt transitions in scale and use at the boundary of adjoining land use zones. In these areas, it is necessary to avoid developments that would be detrimental to the amenity of the more sensitive land use. For instance, in zones abutting residential areas, particular attention must be paid to the uses, scale, density and appearance of development proposals and to landscaping and screening proposals in order to protect the amenities of these residential areas. Other Uses Where a use is not listed in the matrix, development proposals will be assessed on their merits in accordance with the general guidance provided for the land use zoning objective, having regard to the principles of proper planning and sustainable development of the area and compliance with the relevant policies and objectives, standards and requirements as set out in the Plan. Relaxation of Zoning Objectives for Protected Structures The Council actively encourages and supports uses which are compatible with the character of Protected Structures. In certain limited cases, to ensure the long-term viability of a Protected Structure, it may be considered appropriate not to stringently apply generic zoning restrictions, including site development standards, provided the Protected Structure is being restored to the highest standard, the special interest, character and setting of the building is protected and the use and development is consistent with conservation policies and the proper planning and sustainable development of the area. POLICIES LAND USE POL 1 To ensure that land within settlements is developed in accordance with the land use zoning objectives outlined in Table 6.1 and the guidance provided in Table 6.2 of this Chapter. LAND USE POL 2 To protect the role of the town centre as the dominant retailing and commercial area in Tier 1 and Tier 2 settlements. LAND USE POL 3 To protect the integrity of Special Areas of Conservation where such European Sites traverse through town and village settlements which includes lands identified for development within Dromahair, Kinlough, Manorhamilton and Rossinver development envelopes. These European Sites are protected from inappropriate development under the European Habitats Directive, transposing national legislation and various provisions under this Plan which takes primacy over other Development Plan provisions. LAND USE POL 4 The approach to Constrained Land Use described under the Constrained Land Use objective shall be complied with by proposals for development in zoned areas where flood risk presents constraints to prospective land uses. LEITRIM COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2023-2029 – VOLUME I 151 6 Urban Settlements
- 6.12 Settlement Plans The Core Strategy sets out the settlement hierarchy for the county, which is informed by the settlement hierarchy in the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy. A joint Local Area Plan with Roscommon County Council will be prepared to deliver a collaborative and integrated framework for the future development of our county town, Carrick-on-Shannon. A settlement plan has been developed for each of the other settlements (Volume II Settlement Plans). Each settlement is defined by a development boundary, wherein development is generally encouraged in an orderly sequential manner outward from the core area. This pattern of development will maximise the utility of existing and future infrastructure provision in a manner that promotes sustainability, active travel and makes more efficient use of underutilised lands. 6.12.1 Carrick-on-Shannon Carrick-on-Shannon is the county town and is regarded as a key town in the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES) meaning it is a strategic employment centre and can accommodate a significant level of population growth and employment through investment in infrastructure and placemaking. It is a key priority to pursue the development of a data centre or employment use on strategically located lands on the eastern end of the town where road and electricity infrastructure are readily available, as identified in the RSES. The historic town core and location on the River Shannon makes it an attractive tourist destination. Public realm works and the provision of additional car parking makes the town centre accessible and inviting. In addition to expanding employment opportunities and infrastructure, consolidating the town centre by maintaining and enhancing retailing and hospitality is essential to ensure the vitality and viability of the town. A joint Local Area Plan with Roscommon County Council will be prepared to deliver a collaborative and integrated framework for the future development of the town. Specific policies and objectives pertaining to the Key Town of Carrick-on-Shannon are included in various Chapters of the Plan and will govern the development framework for the town to be pursued in the Local Area Plan. 152 LEITRIM COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2023-2029 – VOLUME I 6 Urban Settlements
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- 7.1 Strategic Aim The strategic aim of this chapter is: “To develop, strengthen and support vibrant sustainable communities in Leitrim where people can live, work and enjoy access to a wide range of community, health, educational facilities and amenities, suitable to all ages and needs, in both urban and rural areas, thereby supporting a high quality of life for all to enjoy”. 7.2 Statutory Context Section 10(2) of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended outlines a list of mandatory objectives to be included in a Development Plan. A number of these objectives relate to social infrastructure, either directly or indirectly. This chapter provides the policy framework in relation to these objectives. The Local Government Reform Act, 2014 gave legislative effect to the proposals contained in the Government’s document ‘Putting People First, Action Programme for Local Government’ 2012 and provides for additional areas of responsibility to the work of Local Authorities and the way they are organised. 154 LEITRIM COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2023-2029 – VOLUME I
- 7.3 Policy Context 7.3.1 The National Planning Framework – Ireland 2040 A core objective of the NPF is to provide comprehensive and sustainable social, economic and cultural development of the country. The NPF also places a strong emphasis on access to a range of quality education and health services, as well as promoting healthy placemaking and quality of life. National Strategic Outcomes include encouraging access to quality childcare, education and health services; strengthening rural economies and communities and enhanced amenity and heritage which are especially pertinent to this chapter of the Plan. 7.3.2 Realising our Rural Potential: Action Plan for Rural Development ‘Realising our Rural Potential: Action Plan for Rural Development’ (2017) sets out the Government’s policy for the economic and social development of rural Ireland. The Action Plan for Rural Development will act as an overarching structure for the coordination and implementation of initiatives right across Government which will benefit rural Ireland. It is the first plan of its kind to take a cohesive and coordinated approach across the whole of Government to the implementation of both economic and social policies that impact on rural communities. 7.3.3 Our Rural Future: Rural Development Policy 2021-2025 Our Rural Future, published by Department of Rural and Community Development sets out the Government’s blueprint to transform rural Ireland. This five year strategy will be underpinned by the updated National Development Plan. The key aims of this strategy seeks to take into account: ● An unprecedented opportunity for Rural Development post COVID-19 ● A focus on attracting Remote Workers to rural communities ● Revitalising town centres, rural jobs, adventure tourism, green economy and island development, and ● Encouraging broadband roll-out to bring new opportunities in areas like eHealth, remote learning, online trading and new technologies 7.3.4 Regional Economic and Spatial Strategy The RSES also includes ambitions to create an inclusive and vibrant society for the Northern and Western region. The RSES highlights the importance of the physical and social environment and place in which we live or work, and its impact on the health and quality of life of people. The RSES aims to create a balanced sustainable environment catering for growth that will include the most necessary social infrastructure of health care, education and training, community development, leisure facilities and cultural facilities. The RSES identifies compact growth within our town and larger village centres as an essential element in the delivery of sustainable growth to enable a critical mass of social infrastructure and therefore enable sustainable communities. 7.3.5 Other Relevant Guidance Relevant additional national guidance and policies that have been considered in preparing this chapter include: ● Putting People First – Action Programme for Effective Local Government, 2012, Dept. of Environment, Community and Local Government ● National Disability Strategy Implementation Plan 2013-2015, National Disability Strategy Implementation Group ● National Women’s Strategy 2007-2016, Department of Justice and Equality ● Building for Everyone: A Universal Design Approach, 2012, National Disability Authority ● Get Ireland Active, National Physical Activity Plan for Ireland, 2016 ● Charter for Rural Ireland, 2016 Department of Environment, Community and Local Government ● Our Communities: A Framework Policy for Local and Community Development in Ireland, 2015, Department of Environment, Community and Local Government ● Age Friendly Principles and Guidelines for the Planning Authority, Age Friendly Ireland, 2021 This chapter reflects the overarching principles of the aforementioned national policy documents. LEITRIM COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2023-2029 – VOLUME I 155 7 Sustainable Communities
- 7.4 Local Community Development Committees and Local Economic and Community Plans As outlined in Chapter 4, Section 4.6, the Leitrim Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP) is a six-year plan (2015-2021) containing the measures necessary to promote and support community and economic development in our county. Chapter 4 dealt with the economic element of the LECP whereas this chapter deals with the community aspect of the LECP. The LECP process is about joining up our approaches to economic and community at a local level. A Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) is responsible for the preparation, implementation and monitoring of the community elements of the LECP and to avoid duplication of Local Authority activities in the community. The LCDC is also responsible for monitoring and overseeing the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) and Leader programmes. There are 17 members on our LCDC. Leitrim County Council’s Planning, Economic Development and Infrastructure Strategic Policy Committee is responsible for preparing the economic element of the LECP. There are 10 members in our SPC. The Leitrim County Development Plan assists in delivering the goals of the LECP by: ● Facilitating the delivery of community infrastructure ● Facilitating improved physical access to community infrastructure and services ● Facilitating the maintenance, restoration and upgrading of cultural and natural heritage of communities, environmental upgrading and general actions to enhance the environmental, amenity and physical attributes of communities ● Providing the policy framework against which individual economic and enterprise development proposals are assessed OBJECTIVE LECP OBJ 1 To continue to promote and facilitate the delivery of the objectives and actions set out in the Leitrim Local Economic and Community Plan 2016-2021 (or any subsequent replacement plan). t s LEITRIM COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2023-2029 – VOLUME I156 7 Sustainable Communities
- 7.5 Joint Policing Committees The Garda Síochána Act, 2005 established Joint Policing Committees (JPCS), whose function is ‘To serve as a forum for consultations, discussions and recommendations on matters affecting the policing of the Local Authority’s administrative area’. Key functions of the JPC include keeping under review the levels and patterns of crime, disorder and anti social behaviour in that area. The main aim of Co. Leitrim’s JPC is to provide a collaborative forum where Leitrim County Council and the senior Garda Officers responsible for the policing of Leitrim, with the participation of the local Oireachtas and Elected Members and community interests, can consult, discuss and make recommendations on matters affecting policing in the county. In so doing, the JPC supports policing and enhances community safety. The Mission of the Leitrim JPC is: ‘To enhance the crime prevention and public safety work of An Garda Síochána, the community sector and Leitrim County Council by adopting a collaborative approach to make Leitrim a safe place to live particularly in rural parts of the county’. The Leitrim JPC is required to approach their work strategically, so as to ensure a co-ordinated and focused approach in tackling crime, disorder and anti social behaviour within Co. Leitrim. Accordingly, JPCs must develop a six year strategic plan, and to report on their implementation in Annual Reports to the Policing Authority. The Leitrim JPC adopted a Strategic Plan covering the period 2021 – 2026 on 10th December 2020 designed to link with the LECP for our county. Each year an Annual JPC Work Plan will be prepared which will include objectives derived from the Strategic Plan and relevant Annual Policing Plans as prepared by An Garda Síochána. The Leitrim JPC Strategic Plan 2021-2026 identified a number of strategic priorities for inclusion reflecting the concerns of the JPC and the broader community, encompassing 6 key themes. The implementation of the strategic priorities for the JPC is formulated by the identification of key objectives relating to each strategy to be delivered over the life-time of the Plan. They relate to: ● communication and promotion of greater awareness of the role of the Joint Policing Committee ● promotion of safe communities in Leitrim particularly in rural areas ● crime prevention ● road safety ● public safety ● protecting and engaging our youth OBJECTIVE JPC OBJ 1 To continue to promote and facilitate the delivery of the objectives and actions set out in the Leitrim Joint Policing Committee Strategic Plan 2021-2026 (or any subsequent replacement) which fall within the responsibility of Leitrim County Council to implement. LEITRIM COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2023-2029 – VOLUME I 157 7 Sustainable Communities
- 7.6 Social Inclusion One of the overall aims of the Plan is the promotion of social inclusion. Social inclusion can be defined in many different ways but one of the most common understandings is that, through acting inclusively, society can ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to participate in, and contribute to, community life – regardless of their age, ability, nationality, religion or any of the many other characteristics which makes society diverse. It is, therefore, important that our living, working and leisure environments are designed and maintained in a manner that is accessible to all. At a local level the Council, through its Social Inclusion Activation Programme (SICAP) 2018- 2022 and considered policies, encourages and proactively promotes an ethos of social inclusion. SICAP is overseen locally by the LCDC with support from Leitrim County Council while it is implemented through contract by Leitrim Development Company Ltd. The Development Plan policies and objectives which advocate the development of sustainable communities with good quality public realm, access to housing, community facilities and public transport are central to the promotion of social inclusion in the county. The Plan also seeks to promote equality of opportunity and protection of human rights enshrined in the UN Charter. The Council is fully committed to developing a more socially inclusive society and promoting participation and access for all. The support of social inclusion measures includes the revitalisation of areas by physical regeneration, planning, investment and community development and measures to improve educational attainment levels, upskilling in key competencies and skills acquisition. POLICIES SI POL 1 To promote and assist the development of an inclusive county. SI POL 2 To ensure that all people of the county have access to the range of resources to allow them to fully participate in their local communities. SI POL 3 To promote good placemaking and ensuring new developments are designed with good connectivity and permeability for all. SI POL 4 To support a socially inclusive society, by providing for appropriate community infrastructure, located in local centres or in locations easily accessible to the communities they serve. SI POL 5 To encourage and facilitate the provision of places of assembly in appropriate locations close to residential communities. LEITRIM COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2023-2029 – VOLUME I158 7 Sustainable Communities
- 7.7 Community Participation The need to encourage greater ownership of, and participation in, decision making has been central to numerous local and national government reform plans over the years. The current public service reform plan, ‘Our Public Service 2020’ (Government of Ireland, 2017), recognises the need for a public service that is resilient and responsive to the challenges Ireland faces while effectively delivering quality services to the public. A core underlying principle of meeting this commitment is to place the public at the centre of public service. A number of headline actions were identified under three pillars: ● Delivering for Our Public ● Innovating for Our Future ● Developing our People and Organisations Figure 7.1: The Pillars and Actions – Our Public Service Delivering for Our Public 1. Accelerate digital delivery of services 2. Improve services for our customers 3. Make services more accessible to all 4. Significantly improve communications and engagement with the public 5. Drive efficiency and effectiveness Innovating for Our Future 6. Promote a culture of innovation in the public service 7. Optimise the use of data 8. Build strategic planning capability 9. Strengthen whole-of-government collaboration 10. Embed programme and project management 11. Embed a culture of evidence and evaluation Developing Our People and Organisations 12. Embed strategic human resource management in the public service 13. Mainstream strategic workforce planning in the public service 14. Continuous and responsive professional development 15. Strengthen performance management 16. Promote equality, diversity and inclusion 17. Increase employee engagement 18. Review public service culture and values Of relevance to this chapter is Headline Action 4, which aims to ‘enhance engagement and accountability around the delivery of public services so that the public and businesses have greater input into the planning, design, implementation and review of public service’ (Government of Ireland, 2019). This action focuses on supporting public service organisations in continuing to improve engagement with the general public and local businesses through available structures, and in seeking new and emerging forums. Alongside this at a local level, the Local Authority also engages with citizens through public consultations and information provision in a variety of various ways. Members of the public can be involved directly in decision-making through the Strategic Policy Committee (SPC) system, where membership is drawn not only from elected representatives but also from various sectors relevant to the work of the committees. Other structures, such as Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) and Public Participation Networks (PPNs) also allow members of the public to participate through more formal structures. LEITRIM COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2023-2029 – VOLUME I 159 7 Sustainable Communities
- 7.7.1 Public Participation Network The Public Participation Network is a network of community/voluntary, social inclusion and environmental organisations, established at county level. The Mission Statement of Leitrim PPN states that is seeks to: “Promote the wellbeing of present and future generations and inclusive community participation in the economic, social and environmental development of Co. Leitrim”. The purpose of the PPN is to: ● Allow these groups to have input and have their voices heard within the formal decision-making structures of Co. Leitrim and its environs, including Leitrim County Council. ● Organise the participation and representation of communities on decision making bodies in a fair, equitable and transparent manner. ● Strengthen the capacity of communities and community organisations to contribute positively to the community in which they live or are active. ● Provide information relevant to all community sectors and act as a hub around which information is distributed and received. With this in mind Leitrim PPN runs this website and has its own Facebook and Twitter (@leitrimppn) accounts; as well as regularly distributing information via email and other local media channels. Figure 7.2: Leitrim PPN ‘Principles and Values’ Source: Leitrim PPN Leitrim PPN is now one of the primary ways that Leitrim County Council and other formal bodies connect with groups active in the county. Whenever the Local Authority needs people to participate in consultations or sit on the committees that form policies, such as Special Policy Committees (SPCs), it calls on the PPN to select these people by holding elections from amongst its constituent members. Leitrim PPN has a secretariat that manage its activities at the county level. The members of this group are independent of the County Council and are elected by the members of the PPN. Every group that joins the PPN has a vote and is able to nominate candidates for positions on decision-making bodies ensuring robust collaboration. The current members of the Leitrim PPN are hugely diverse and numerous in quantum representing a wide spectrum of community organisations in the county. OBJECTIVE PPN OBJ 1 To facilitate and support, through the Leitrim Public Participation Network, the involvement of the community in consultative structures and public participation in Local Government policy and decision making. LEITRIM COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2023-2029 – VOLUME I160 7 Sustainable Communities
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.