Development plan · Longford County Council
Longford County Development Plan 2021–2027
The council's development plan written statement: its strategy, policies, objectives and development standards.
Longford County Council · 2021–2027 · 486 pages
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- CPO 8.43 CPO 8.38 CPO 8.39 CPO 8.40 CPO 8.41 CPO 8.42 Key Employment Centres (Ballymahon, Edgeworthstown and Lanesborough) - County Policy Objectives It is the County Policy Objective to: Promote the proportionate economic growth of the Key Employment Centres, together with the enhancement of local infrastructure and amenities and improved transport links. Support the regeneration of the core areas of the Key Employment Centres through sustainable targeted measures that address vacancy, encourage economic development and deliver sustainable reuse and regeneration outcomes. Support the development of high-quality e-working communal spaces and offices to facilitate increased levels of remote working within each of the Key Employment Centres. Support Ballymahon, Edgeworthstown and Lanesborough as key tourism hubs within the County and wider region and the further integration of the centres as features of the wider tourism network. Support the development of the food enterprise hub in Lanesborough in recognition of its key economic and direct employment value to the town and as a means of promoting local food production and suppliers. Seek to deliver the targeted economic regeneration of the Lough Ree Power Station site in Lanesborough following its decommissioning in cooperation with local stakeholders, sectoral partners, ESB and Bord na Móna. 8.7.1.2.1 Key Employment Centres – Ballymahon, Edgeworthstown and Lanesborough The settlements of Ballymahon, Edgeworthstown, and Lanesborough act as key economic centres for their respective hinterlands and have a key role in promoting sustainable and balanced economic growth across the county, thereby complementing the primary and secondary growth centres. Ballymahon has a strong manufacturing and lightindustrial base, with a key retail and service-sector standing within the county, with significant growth in tourism-orientated services such as food and drink hostelries and tourist accommodation. The growth in this sector, and related service sector employment, can be directly related to the opening of the nearby Longford Forest Center Parcs resort in July 2019, which itself is a considerable employer with approximately 1,000 jobs. Edgeworthstown has a long-established manufacturing and light-industrial base, with a particular focus on agri-food and the service sector. It also has a key strategic location, with excellent transports links owing to its proximity to transport corridors in the form of both the N4 and the Sligo- Dublin InterCity rail line. Lanesborough is currently in a state of structural economic change with the closure of the Lough Ree power station having a direct impact on ESB employees, and indirectly on Bord na Móna employees, with peat harvesting being the main source of fuel for the plant. Notwithstanding, the roll out of the Just Transaction Fund for affected communities and workers will have significant positive impacts on a variety of sectors, ranging from agri-food to tourism to alternative energy sectors. Funding has also been secured for the development of a new community enterprise food hub which will create up to 90 jobs. Lanesborough also has strong retail and service sectors catering for both its immediate population, as well as its wider hinterland. Similar to Granard, Lanesborough is a key retail and service centre for its inhabitants and surrounding hinterland, extending outside the county.County Development Plan 2021–2027 241
- 8.7.1.4 Local Employment Centres These centres typically comprise of small towns and key villages which provide employment needs to their respective local hinterlands. In the small towns and villages of Drumlish, Newtownforbes, Ballinalee, Keenagh, Abbeyshrule, Ardagh, Clondra, Ballinamuck and Aughnacliffe, the Council will seek to encourage local employment opportunities that assist in reducing long distance commuting patterns and support sustainable communities and employment needs for local hinterlands. 8.7.1.5 Rural Areas In the rural areas there are rural settlements and rural nodes which provide opportunities for employment generating uses including green energy projects, resource recovery, food production, forestry and agribusiness, bloodstock, horticulture, hydroponics (growing plants without soil), rural based tourism and resource-based enterprises. This addressed in detail in Chapter 9: Rural Economy. CPO 8.44 CPO 8.45 CPO 8.46 CPO 8.47 Local Employment Centres - County Policy Objectives It is the County Policy Objective to: Promote commensurate population and employment growth in the designated Local Employment Centres, providing for natural increases and to become more economically selfsustaining, in line with the quality and capacity of public transport, services and infrastructure available. Support proportionate economic growth of and appropriately designed development in Local Employment Centres that will contribute to their regeneration and renewal. Support the regeneration of the core areas of the Local Employment Centres through sustainable targeted measures that address vacancy, encourage economic development and deliver sustainable reuse and regeneration outcomes. Support the development of high-quality e-working communal spaces and offices to facilitate increased levels of remote working within each of the Local Employment Centres. CPO 8.48 Rural Areas - County Policy Objectives It is the County Policy Objective to: Consider proposals for enterprise and employment uses on their merits in rural locations and where their specific location offers amenity, environmental and economic advantage. Such enterprises or considered industrial projects, new or expanded, may sometimes require sites outside settlements because of their size or other specific site requirements. Such projects will be assessed taking account of: ■ The contribution of the proposed development to the county’s economy; ■ The contribution of the proposed development to the county’s environment and the principles of sustainable development; ■ Assessment of any potential environmental effects; ■ The economic viability and availability of alternative sites; and ■ National planning policy. It will be the responsibility of the developer to consider all environmental impacts, both direct and indirect. The Council will consider not only the immediate needs and benefits, but the wider long-term environmental effects of the proposal.Longford County Council 242
- 8.7.2 Retail Development A Retail Strategy has been developed to coincide with the preparation of the County Development Plan (see Volume 3: Annex 9: County Longford Retail Strategy). The Retail Strategy was carried out in accordance with provisions set out in the ‘Retail Planning Guidelines for Planning Authorities’ (Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (DoEHLG), 2012). The Retail Strategy covers both Longford Town and the towns and villages in the County. The key outcomes of the Retail Strategy which were informed by the Retail Planning Guidelines are to: 1. Define the Retail Hierarchy in the County and related retail core boundaries; 2. Undertake a health check appraisal of the key retail centres in Longford, to ascertain the need for interventions in these areas; 3. Identify the broad requirement for additional retail floorspace development in the County over the plan period, to support the established settlement hierarchy, and; 4. Provide guidance on policy recommendations and criteria for the future assessment of retail development proposals over the Development Plan period 2021-2027. The Retail Strategy sets out to review the broad quantum of additional retail floorspace and its location that is required for the County over the Plan period. The location and extent of new retail development must have regard to the planning framework for the County, particularly the Retail Planning Guidelines. Central to the provision of additional retail floorspace is the need to reinforce the retail hierarchy of the County in existing town and village centres. Therefore, it is vital that Longford Town, as the County’s principal urban centre continues to develop its retail function to meet expanding shopping needs and to ensure a healthy and competitive retail environment. To achieve the key objectives of the Retail Strategy due cognisance must be taken of the strategic policy framework that underpins the specific policies contained therein in relation to the following: (i) The respective positions of Longford Town and Granard in the Regional Retail Hierarchy as established in the Eastern and Midland RSES; (ii) Identifying the County Retail Hierarchy; (iii)The spatial distribution of new retail development as prescribed by the County Retail Hierarchy; (iv) The core retail areas (Longford Town); (v) The sequential approach; and (vi) A consideration of need. These are dealt with accordingly: 8.7.2.1 Position of Longford Town and Granard in the Regional Retail Hierarchy Longford Town is the primary settlement and largest population centre within County Longford. Centrally located within the County, and having the advantage of excellent national, regional and local transport linkages, the town is recognised as being a settlement of regional importance. The scope and scale of functions which Longford Town provides to its residents, as well as those of its hinterland has been recognised in national and regional context. In the Retail Planning Guidelines, Longford town is defined as a Level 3 Settlement, assigning it the role of providing retail support at a sub-regional level50. The importance of Longford Town has also been recognised in the Eastern and Midland RSES, which has classified the town as a Level 2 centre (Major Town Centres & County (Principal) Town Centres). In terms of Granard, the RSES recognises the key role played by its retail function to its inhabitants and wider hinterland in designating it as a Level 3 retail centre (Town and/or District Centres & Sub- County Town Centres (Key Service Centres)). In this regard, it is acknowledged that Granard, given its proximity to the Longford-Cavan border, performs as a key service provider and retail centre for a broad hinterland which extends beyond the County boundary. The designations for both Longford Town and Granard, prescribed by the RSES Regional Retail Hierarchy, has informed the Retail Hierarchy adopted in the County Longford Retail Strategy. 50 ‘Retail Planning Guidelines for Planning Authorities’, (DoECLG, 2012), Section 2.2.3, page 11.County Development Plan 2021–2027 243
- The Retail Strategy sets out to review the broad quantum of additional retail floorspace and its location that is required for the County over the Plan period (The Council has undertaken an interim review of projected floorspace requirements to provide an evidence-based quantum of retail floorspace requirements for the Plan period, this is included in Annex 9: Retail Strategy). The location and extent of new retail development must have regard to the planning framework for the County, particularly the Retail Planning Guidelines. Central to the provision of additional retail floorspace is the need to reinforce the retail hierarchy of the County in existing town and village centres. Therefore, it is vital that Longford Town, as the County’s principal urban centre continues to develop its retail function to meet expanding shopping needs and to ensure a healthy and competitive retail environment. 8.7.2.2 Identifying the County Retail Hierarchy The purpose of the retail hierarchy is to indicate the level and form of retailing activity appropriate to the various urban centres in the County. Taking a criteria-based approach enables the Council to protect each centre’s overall vitality and viability, whilst allowing each centre to perform its overall function within the County’s settlement hierarchy. The retail hierarchy proposed in the Retail Strategy adopts a methodology, whereby the ranking of each retail centre has taken account of their respective placing within the settlement hierarchy of the County, as outlined in Chapter 4: Core Strategy, Settlement and Housing Strategies of this Plan, as well as the regional retail hierarchy provided in the RSES. This is set out in Table 8.6. Table 8.6: Longford County Retail Hierarchy Hierarchy Level Retail Hierarchy Settlement Designation Settlements Appropriate Retail Type Tier I Principal Town Longford Town Major convenience and comparison. Tier II Key Service Town Granard Large to Medium scale convenience and medium scale comparison Tier III Service Towns Edgeworthstown and Ballymahon Medium scale convenience along with small to medium scale comparison. Tier IV Local Service Town Lanesborough Medium to small scale convenience, along with some limited comparison, including tourism related comparison. Tier V Villages, Rural Serviced Settlements and Hinterlands Village, small settlements and the Open Countryside of County Longford Predominantly lower order convenience, but not excluding tourism related comparison.Longford County Council 244
- 8.7.2.3 Spatial Distribution of Additional Retail within the County Retail Hierarchy This Longford County Retail Strategy provides a strategic policy framework, in accordance with the provisions of the Retail Planning Guidelines, for the spatial distribution of retail development in the county. While there is a focus on the upper levels of the hierarchy level, it does not inhibit appropriate scale retail development in other identified centres, specifically smaller settlements, where such development would enhance the sustainability, vitality and viability of such centres. Strategic guidance on how the Retail Strategy defines the distribution of strategic and non-strategic retail floor space within the county’s retail hierarchy is provided in Table 8.5. 8.7.2.4 Core Retail Areas (Longford Town) A key policy objective of the Retail Planning Guidelines is the promotion of greater vitality in town centres through the implementation of a sequential approach to the location of all retail development. This ‘sequential approach’ prioritises core areas within town centres over edge-of-centre or out-of-centre locations, which may in some cases, have poorer functional and spatial linkages with the core. This approach recognises the importance of core areas as the most suitable locations for higher order fashion and comparison goods, as they are easily accessible for the majority of the catchment population and also provide a compact and sustainable critical mass of commercial activity and public amenities, thereby reducing the need to travel. Given its scale and dominance of retail development and uses relative to other settlements in the County, Longford Town is the most pertinent settlement to be subject to a defined core retail area. The assessment of the County’s retail centres carried out under the previous Longford Retail Strategy 2015-2021 recognised the curtailment of retail activity from the commercial core of Longford Town, realised in the most extreme terms by the levels of commercial vacancy experienced in the economic downturn preceding the strategy. Despite the expectation that the levels of commercial vacancy would recede over the period of the previous Retail Strategy, a considerable level of commercial vacancy remains in the town. Given the level of commercial vacancy within the settlement, coupled with a relative underperforming commercial and retail market, the Core Retail Area of Longford Town remains that which was defined under the previous Retail Strategy, namely the dense clustering of key commercial activities, bounded by the primary thoroughfares of Main Street to the West and Dublin Street to the South, and the secondary thoroughfare of Ballymahon Street to the South West. In accordance with the guidance on the location of all new retail activity set out in the Retail Planning Guidelines, Longford Town’s Core Retail Area is to be the focus and preferred location for retail development during the plan period. The associated map can be viewed in Volume 2: Appendix 4: Retail Strategy. Longford Town Shopping CentreCounty Development Plan 2021–2027 245
- Furthermore, while Longford Town has a vibrant retail core, it has a notable deficiency in high-end, modern comparison retail floor plates. The lack of high value comparison anchors in the town core has undoubtedly contributed to the growth of expenditure leakage from the town’s catchment area, as the retail profiles of competing centres have developed at a faster pace. In order for Longford Town to compete effectively with other urban centres of a similar scale, it is imperative that sufficient high-end comparison shopping is in place in the town core area. It is essential in terms of the sustainable development of the Town going forward that this high-end comparison-shopping provision is retained and substantially enhanced within the Town core area and that leakage to the periphery is prevented. 8.7.2.5 The Sequential Approach The locations of retail development will be assessed against the principles of the Sequential Approach. In accordance with the Retail Planning Guidelines. The Sequential Approach for Longford is defined as follows: 1. The overall preferred location for new retail development is within town centres; 2. Only where the applicant can demonstrate, and the Planning Authority is satisfied, that there are no sites or potential sites within the town centre, should an edge-of-centre be considered; 3. Only in exceptional circumstances where it can be demonstrated that there are no sites or potential sites available, either within the centre or on the edge of these centres, should an out-of-centre site be considered. In order to protect, encourage and enhance the vitality and viability of both the retail offer and public realm of the town, any future large-scale retail units which would be out of proportion with the absorption capacity of the town centre may require locations outside of the core shopping area. 8.7.2.6 Consideration of Need The Retail Planning Guidelines advise that Retail Strategies should “assess the broad requirement for additional development over the plan period… these assessments of future retail requirements are intended to provide broad guidance as to the additional quantum of convenience and comparison floorspace provision. They should not be treated in an overly prescriptive manner, nor should they serve to inhibit competition”. For this purpose, it is not the intention of the Retail Strategy to present figures as some form of cap on retail permissions in the County, but rather to guide the general scale of the overall retail provision. A summary of additional floorspace requirements over the period 2021-2027 is set out in Table 8.7 below. Table 8.7: Summary of Additional Floorspace Requirements 2021-2027 Retail Category Floorspace (sqm) Additional Convenience 2,100 – 3,200 Additional Comparison 2,000 – 2,650 Additional Bulky 2,200 – 4,850 Developing the retail offer of the county, especially in respect of high-end high street comparison shopping, is vital if Longford is to remain competitive and arrest the levels of both convenience and comparison expenditure leakage to centres outside of the county. This is particularly important for Longford Town if it is to enhance its strategic role as outlined in the Eastern and Midland RSES as a ‘Key Town’ with the capacity to act as a driver of growth to complement the ‘Regional Growth Centre’ of Athlone. It is also critical given the town’s position as a crucial urban anchor providing essential services in an otherwise predominantly rural county. Apart from Longford Town, the other retail centres in the county are small both in terms of population size and quantum of floorspace. The improvement of the retail offer of these centres needs to be encouraged and facilitated. 8.7.2.7 Evening Economy The evening economy is a significant contributor to the economic performance of town centres, however, its full potential to the vitality and viability of town centres has, traditionally, been underutilised owing to rigid trading hours and singularity of uses operating during the day. The Council recognises the need to encourage a range of vibrant uses to promote the evening economy, whilst also taking into consideration the recreational and amenity needs of local residents. In this regard, the Council supports the standards for evening and night-tome economic activity established in the Purple Flag Programme, which is an accreditation and award programme run by the Association of Town andLongford County Council 246
- City Management in recognition of excellence in the management of the evening and night-time economy. 8.7.2.8 Consideration of Vacancy Longford County Council has sought to take a proactive approach to addressing the issue of retail floorspace vacancy, while remaining cognisant of its responsibility to facilitate growth in retail and general economic activity within the County. As such the Retail Strategy has taken a cumulative approach to depleting vacant floorspace, while accommodating additional floorspace where it is required. As identified in the Retail Strategy, a survey of existing floorspace in the county was undertaken (between October 2018 and September 2019), which identified a cumulative total of 5,618 square metres of vacancy across convenience, comparison and bulky retail categories (9.34 % of the total retail floorspace in the County). Based on market insights, a frictional vacancy rate of 10% was held across the respective categories in order to foster competition in the market. This results in a negative requirement for additional retail floorspace in this year across all three categories of retail which, along with existing vacant floorspace across convenience, comparison and bulky goods retail categories, negates the theoretical requirement for additional retail floorspace to cater for projected retail spend until the years 2024 (in the case of convenience retail floorspace development), 2023 (in the case of comparison retail floorspace development) and 2026 (in the case of bulky goods retail floorspace development). However, it should be emphasised that this does not signify that no additional retail development should take place before these respective years, but rather demonstrates the impact of economic volatility on projected retail floorspace development. 8.7.2.9 Online Retail Online shopping, or ‘e-commerce’ has a major presence in the Irish retail market, with most multiples having a significant online presence. E-commerce Europe estimates that 84% of Ireland’s population of 15 years and older use the internet and 2.86 million of this population shop online, spending €7.7bn in 201951. Online shopping is therefore one of the most significant growth areas in the retail market in the past decade. While this represents an opportunity for retailers as an additional sales platform, many traditional retailers have suffered loss of sales and in this way, online sales or ‘e-commerce’ represents a significant competitor. In recognition of this, many retailers are adapting by co-locating leisure uses (particularly food and beverage) alongside retail to provide an ‘experience’ that cannot be replicated in an online setting. On the main street where floorplates are generally not large, leisure uses such as restaurants and cafes have tended to replace vacant former retail units. While online shopping is a major factor in loss of sales, there is an opportunity for town centres to provide something that is not possible online, a market-place where experience and social interaction is possible. 8.7.2.10 Retail County Policy Objectives The goal of the Longford County Retail Strategy 2021-2027 is to encourage the development of a healthy, vibrant and sustainable retail environment within the urban centres of County Longford. The key outcomes outlined in the County Longford Retail Strategy 2021-2027 (see section 8.7.2) will inform Development Plan policy to: i. Ensure that County Longford possesses a clear policy framework that will inform future retail development proposals, as well as their assessment and help to secure the strategic and local retailing needs of the County; ii. Maintain and, where possible, enhance the existing competitiveness of the County’s main centres by facilitating the development of additional retail floorspace where it can be clearly established that such development will result in tangible improvements to the retail offering of the County; iii. Encourage reductions in floorspace vacancy, taking account of suitability, obsolescence, and the identification of alternatives uses for existing vacant floorspace within the urban centres of the County; iv. Facilitate the regeneration of areas with scope for improvement or when there may be a highlevel of vacancy, obsolescence or emerging issues 51 https://www.ecommerce-europe.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/European-Ecommerce-Report-2019-full-versionFinal-version-37.pngCounty Development Plan 2021–2027 247
- of dereliction, subject to the provisions of the Sequential Test; v. Engage with relevant stakeholders and incentivise to ensure that the environmental attractiveness of town/local centres is enhanced; and vi. Address the issue of retail expenditure leakage out of the County to competing centres by looking All proposed new retail developments will be assessed on the basis of the following County Policy Objectives and against the criteria that are set out in Chapter 16: Development Management Standards, where relevant. to develop the retail offering in the County within key retail sectors where this leakage occurs. Accordingly, the policies relevant to retail development are categorised under the following 3 no. policy themes: Policy Category Focus of Policy Strategic Policies: Policies related to the spatial distribution of centres, their role in the national and county retail hierarchies and the strategic aims of the County Retail Strategy. General Policies: Policies that establish planning principles which should be applied throughout the County Retail Hierarchy. Longford Town Specific Policies: Policies which address specific issues relating to the county’s Tier I retail centre that need to be addressed. 8.7.2.11 Strategic Retail County Policy Objectives The strategic policies developed through the County Longford Retail Strategy and the County Policy Objectives required for their successful implementation are outlined below. CPO 8.49 CPO 8.50 CPO 8.51 CPO 8.52 CPO 8.53 CPO 8.54 Strategic Retail - County Policy Objectives It is the County Policy Objective to: Promote and encourage major enhancement of town centre activities within Longford town to enable it to maintain its strategic role as defined in the Eastern and Midland Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy. Build upon the strong services function of Longford town and encourage an increase in highend high street comparison retailing in the core shopping areas. Encourage the growth and development of retail floorspace and other town centre services/ functions in Granard, Ballymahon and Edgeworthstown in order to support their transition into more self-sustaining centres within the county’s settlement and retail hierarchies. Consolidate, promote and encourage the provision of local scale retail development in Lanesborough, with a view to strengthening its position as a Local Service Town which provides important local service functions, which will be actively encouraged. Assist and encourage small scale retail development throughout the villages and serviced settlements of the County in recognition of their important role as defined in the County Retail Hierarchy. Support local level retail development in villages and serviced settlements, where this is consistent with the capacity and critical mass of such centres to sustain retail development and subject to the directions of the sequential approach.Longford County Council 248
- All proposed new retail developments will be assessed on the basis of the following County Policy Objectives and against the criteria that are set out in Chapter 16: Development Management Standards, where relevant. Wendy Louise Knight, MillinerCounty Development Plan 2021–2027 249
- 8.7.2.12 General Retail County Policy Objectives The general retail policy objectives are outlined below. CPO 8.55 CPO 8.56 CPO 8.57 CPO 8.58 CPO 8.59 CPO 8.60 CPO 8.61 CPO 8.62 CPO 8.63 CPO 8.64 CPO 8.65 General Retail - County Policy Objectives It is the County Policy Objective to: Ensure that all retail development permitted accords with the relevant requirements and criteria as established within the Retail Planning Guidelines for Planning Authorities 2012 and the Longford County Retail Strategy 2021-2027. Permit retail development of a size and scale which is appropriate to the level of the town/ settlement, including its population, as defined within the County Retail Hierarchy. Encourage, in the first instance, developments which promote and protect the Longford Town Core Shopping Area as the primary location for high order comparison and large-scale convenience retail development in the County, subject to the criteria of the Retail Planning Guidelines 2012. Discourage new retail development if such development, either by itself or cumulatively in conjunction with other developments, would seriously damage the vitality and vitality of existing retail existing retail centres within the County. Consolidate and reinforce all existing retail enterprises within the County and permit the development of additional retail floorspace where such development is deemed to be appropriate by Longford County Council. Guide retail development where practical and viable in accordance with the framework provided by the ‘Sequential Approach’, in order to enable the vitality and viability of existing town and village centres to be sustained and strengthened. Evaluate the introduction of business improvement district type initiatives to the principal settlements of County Longford in order to establish the contribution that such proposals could make to the viability and vitality of town centres within the County. Encourage and facilitate retail innovation, where appropriate, to help diversify the County's retail profile and offer. Where possible, this retail innovation should be directed towards existing urban centres and settlements in the first instance but will not preclude the development of retail enterprises in other locations, where the retail innovation in question cannot be sustained within any alternative location. Such development proposals will be assessed on their own merits and must satisfy the assessment criteria of the Retail Planning Guidelines. Encourage and facilitate an appropriate range of day and evening activity thereby creating a vibrant, active and attractive in town and villages centres. Facilitate LEO in supporting all existing retail business with an on-street presence in core retail areas to establish an online sales platform. Promote the reuse of vacant retail floorspace. Where no viable retail use can be sustained, alternative uses will be assessed on their own merits against the requirements of the proper planning and sustainable development of the areas within which they are located.Longford County Council 250
Source Longford County Council: Longford 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.