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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- Table 14.3: Views and Prospects (to be read in conjunction with Appendix 9: Landscape Character - Intermittent Scenic routes) Route No. Townlands Classification I.S-1 Gaigue, Tawnagh, Camagh (Longfod By), Corrinagh, Annagh (Longford By), Aghamore Lower, Leggagh, Moyne, Aghagah, Fihoragh Intermittent I.S-2 Enaghan, Lisraherty. Intermittent I.S-3 Drumard Intermittent I.S-4 Ballyduffy, Moyne, Birrinagh, Crott, Smear. Intermittent I.S-5 Smear, Carrickmaguirk, Aghamore Lower. Intermittent I.S-6 Leggagh, Aghamore Lower, Annaghdaniel, Cloonback, Cuingareen, Rathmore (Granard By), Donegal (Granary By). Intermittent I.S-7 Edenmore, Fostragh Intermittent I.S-8 Aghadowry, Carrickateane, Drumderg. Intermittent I.S-9 Lettergonnell, Carrowlinan, Kiltyclogh. Intermittent I.S-10 Cartrongolan, Dooroc, Derrynacross, Derryheelan. Intermittent I.S-11 Cartrongolan, Oghil, Clontumper, Esker South Intermittent I.S-12 Feraghfad, Ballymakeegan, Farnagh, Glebe (Ed. Longford Rural), Townparks (Ardagh By), Farranyoogan, Aghafad, Cartronageeragh. Intermittent I.S-13 Druming, Ballycloghan, Aghnasillagh, Garrycam, Keel (Moydow By), Castlerea Mountain, Bawn Mountain. Intermittent I.S-14 Cornadowagh, Ballyrevagh, Carrowbeg. Intermittent I.S-15 Drumnee, Claras, Corrool (Fox). Intermittent I.S-16 Portanure, Lismagawley, Pollagh. Intermittent I.S-17 Collum, Derrydarragh, Carrowrory, Ballagh(Rathcline By) Intermittent I.S-18 Forgeny, Newcastle, Clooncallow, Cloonkeen (Rathcline By). Intermittent It is not envisaged that the designation of a Protected View would prohibit all development within the view, but rather that any development proposed within the view should be designed and located so as not to obstruct the view both to and from a location and/or be unduly intrusive in the landscape as seen from both to and from these vantage points. CPO 14.37 Protected Views and Prospects – County Policy Objectives It is the County Policy Objective to: Preserve the views and prospects listed in Table 14.2 and 14.3 and detailed in Appendix 9: Landscape Character with accompanying maps and to protect these views from development which would interfere unduly with the character and visual amenity of the landscape.County Development Plan 2021–2027 401
- 14.8 Landscape Character Climate Context and Associated Actions In accordance with the format set out in Chapter 3: Climate Change of this Plan the following is an assessment of the content of this chapter in a Climate Context and associated Actions. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) the greatest environmental risk to health is ambient air pollution, causing more than three million premature deaths worldwide every year. In Ireland, this figure is an estimated at 1,180 persons, aided by above average levels of air pollutants, despite the country meeting EU air quality standards. A response from the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment has been to extend the Smokey Coal Ban to include Longford Town amongst others from September 2020. Ireland’s 2020 target is to achieve a 20% reduction of non-Emission Trading Scheme (non-ETS) sector emissions (i.e. agriculture, transport, built environment, waste and non-energy intensive industry) against 2005 levels. In early May 2019, Ireland became only the second country in the world to declare a climate and biodiversity emergency. Biodiversity is, essentially, the foundation of all plant and animal life, so this declaration is an important, formal recognition by the State of the seriousness of the threat that exists to that life. The National Biodiversity Data Centre has calculated that approximately 20% of all species, and one in every three bee species are threatened with extinction as a direct result of our eroding biodiversity. From the food we eat, water we drink, raw materials we use for fuel, construction and medicine, to the creation of space for our leisure, these biodiverse ecosystems help to regulate our climate. Healthy, intact ecosystems trap and sequester carbon, retain water, prevent soil erosion and provide protection from extreme weather. Habitats such as wetlands, woodlands and peatlands are particularly high in biodiversity value and are key for both climate mitigation and adaptation measures, providing important carbon sinks, water attenuation and flooding protection, and pollinators for crops. Worldwide, peatlands account for 3% of all land cover, and 21% in Ireland alone84, and stores twice as much carbon as all standing forests, aided by the ability of a 15cm, thick layer storing more carbon per hectare than tropical rainforests85. Yet these habitats are extremely vulnerable to climate change and Ireland is set to lose 31% by 2055 of this asset if immediate rewetting action is not taken86. 84 Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (2015), ‘National Peatlands Strategy 2015 – Managing Ireland’s Peatlands’, National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). https://www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/publications/pdf/NationalPeatlandsStrategy2015EnglishVers.pdf 85 Ramsar (2015), ‘Guidelines for inventories of tropical peatlands to facilitate their designation as Ramsar Sites’, Ramsar Briefing Note 9, Ramsar – Convention on Wetlands. https://www.ramsar.org/sites/default/files/documents/library/bn9_peatland_inventory_e.pdf 86 Sweeney, J. (et. Al) (2008), ‘Climate Change – Refining the Impact for Ireland: Streive Report’, Strive Programme 2007-2013, Environmental Protection Agency, University of Ireland, Maynooth. https://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/research/climate/sweeneyreport-strive-12-for-web-low-res.pdf Picnic Area at Lough GownaLongford County Council 402
- A14.1 A14.4 A14.7 A14.3 A14.6 A14.9 A14.10 A14.2 A14.5 A14.8 Landscape Character Climate Change Actions Longford County Council shall: Within the lifetime of the plan, undertake a survey and vector mapping exercise to identify exemplar wetlands, bogs, individual trees and/or stands of trees and/or woodlands throughout the county worthy of protection and preservation. Encourage the potential community woodlands areas in urban/urban fringe areas and the development of community woodlands throughout rural Longford. Discourage and ban the use of glyphosate weedkillers in public spaces in favour of hot water, foam stream, flame weeding and/or concentrated vinegar. Prepare a Peatland Strategy that shall encourage the rewilding, restoration and protection of peat bogs after turf cutting and/or peat extraction has ceased. Support the National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme 2017 – 2022. Promote the roll-out of renewables and stringent protection and enhancement of carbon pools such as forests, peatlands and permanent grasslands. Discourage fracking and the industrial extraction of fossil fuels within Longford’s functional area. Engage the services of a full-time Ecologist on a shared basis amongst neighbouring Local Authorities. Install and promote the installation of bird, bat, and owl boxes, and bee bricks and insect hotels or equivalent, at all relevant locations and developments, where possible. Actively participate and seek to adopt recommendations originating out of the Climate Action Regional Office (CARO) and Midlands Climate Action Region. Lough Sallagh north LongfordCounty Development Plan 2021–2027 403
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- Monitoring, Evaluation and Implementation CHAPTER 15 The Mall and the view of St. Mell’s Cathedral Longford town
- 406 15.1 Introduction The monitoring, evaluation and implementation of the Development Plan is vital in order to ensure the delivery of policy objectives and in turn that the Development Plan is a proactive tool in shaping our County Development in a positive way taking account of the most relevant guidance available. Such evaluation covers both quantitative and qualitative processes and incorporates the following methods: - 15.2 Statutory 2-year Review of Development Plan The Development Plan requires statutory monitoring and evaluation in accordance with section 15(2) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended), which states that: ‘the Chief Executive of a planning authority shall, not more than 2 years after the making of a development plan, give a report to the members of the authority on the progress achieved in securing the objectives (of the plan)’. In addition to the above, the Act requires the planning authority to commence the review of the plan not more than four years after its adoption. As such the requirements of the Act will require that an in-depth appraisal of the plan be carried out twice during its lifetime. In this regard the effectiveness of all policies and objectives in the plan will be subject to monitoring. As such the policies and objectives of the plan must be capable of implementation and it must be possible to monitor progress. The Development Plan must also be able to respond to changing circumstances over its timescale, and as such regular monitoring of the relationship between the plan and changes in the wider policy context, development pressures and local priorities are important if the policies and objectives are to remain effective and relevant. This will offer the opportunity for all policy to be reviewed. EU, national, regional and other policies, funding and investment priorities will be revisited as part of the Development Plan Review, as Longford County Council seek to ensure continued policy alignment with relevant policy and the delivery of associated projects through associated funding streams. By ensuring good policy alignment, the Development Plan can drive investment that is targeted towards identified priorities at European, national, regional and local scale, assisting in identifying partnership opportunities and leveraging appropriate funding. This may also offer a particular opportunity, taking account of the current uncertain times in which, the plan is being prepared, as a result of Covid 19 and the associated as yet unknown repercussions for the Development Plan. If following the publication of the Census material to be undertaken next year (2021) or following a large deviation in economic fiscal or other policy as a result of the evolving situation in relation to the global Covid 19 pandemic, this will offer the opportunity for a review of policy and an analysis of the evolving evidence base, which may offer a change in direction in terms of policy alignment and population and economic growth scenarios. 15.3 Approach and Priorities for Monitoring Within the first two years of the Plan, priorities for monitoring will be determined and key information requirements identified, within the resources available. The initial focus will be on those policy objectives central to the aims and strategy of the plan e.g. in understanding housing supply issues, an examination of urban areas subject to extensive pressures for new residential development, upto-date information on housing land availability, numbers of house completions, outstanding planning permissions and rates of take-up will be undertaken. In deciding priorities, the key issues facing the area will be determined and the information requirements identified. It is also noted that section 95(3)(a) of the 2000 Act expressly requires that the biennial report required under Section 15(2) includes a review of progress on the housing strategy. In this regard given the impact of housing supply and provision on the demand for education provision and accompanying demand for school accommodation, the Department of Education and Science will be duly informed of the findings of the 2-year review report. The review will look at issues such as the interpretation of development plan policy objectives in the development management process.Longford County Council 406
- Killoe Community engaged in active fundraising 407 County Development Plan 2021–2027
- The purpose of monitoring and evaluation is to assess the effectiveness or otherwise of policy objectives in terms of achieving stated aims. As such attempts have been made as much as reasonably possible to ensure that policy objectives are clear, in an attempt to facilitate performance appraisal and evaluation. Monitoring involves the collation and analysis of performance data and is linked to an evaluation process so that effectiveness can be measured against stated criteria. As such efforts have been made to formulate policy objectives in terms that allow performance to be readily measured in terms of the formulation of quantifiable criteria. The preparation of the SEA environmental report provides such a process. However, inevitably, the Development Plan also contains policy objectives which do not readily lend themselves to quantification, and as such qualitative performance targets will be devised as part of the review process. Much of the data required for successful monitoring and evaluation will be readily available in the local authority and often from within the planning department. The development management process will be central to the implementation of the plan and decisions on planning applications and appeals will be a key source of data for monitoring purposes. Linking of planning application databases with GIS will provide for easy data capture and provide a spatial expression of results. Subsequently a monitoring and evaluation report will be prepared to identify any issues concerning implementation of the Development Plan. 15.4 Recommendations from Oversight Bodies: OPR, EMRA and NOAC The implementation and delivery of the Development Plan will also be monitored by both the Office of the Planning Regulator and the Eastern and Midland Regional Authority and the National Oversight and Audit Commission (NOAC). As part of this process, Longford County Council will amend policy as required by these bodies to ensure policy alignment with relevant higher-level comments and associated funding streams. In terms of monitoring and reporting, regional progress will be measured in terms of the key indicators for policy making and evaluation to be developed by the Regional Authority. The following monitoring and reporting arrangements are required by legislation to measure progress and will be complied with by Longford County Council: ■ Under Section 22A of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, the local authority is required every 2 years, to prepare and submit a report to the EMRA setting out progress made in supporting objectives, relevant to the Strategy. ■ Take account of the monitoring report to be prepared by EMRA every 2 years in relation to their analysis of the Development Plan progress made in implementing the overall objectives of the RSES, including any specific actions and outcomes specific to public bodies identified in legislation. This monitoring report will also be submitted to the National Oversight and Audit Commission (NOAC) for consideration and the NOAC may make recommendations to the Minister in relation to relevant measures to further support the implementation of the Strategy, which Longford Council will also take on board. ■ Longford County Council will assist and cooperate as far as practicable in implementing the RSES. ■ In accordance with Article 10 of the SEA Directive, ‘monitoring will be carried out in order to identify, at an early stage, any unforeseen adverse effects due to implementation of a plan, and to be able to take remedial action’. Measures to monitor significant environmental effects of the implementation of the Development Plan are included in the SEA Statement.Longford County Council 408
- 15.5 Securing Funding Initiatives The Development Plan will be realised by the delivery of European, National and Regional funding that will achieve the Regional Strategic Outcomes expressed in the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES), as distilled to a County level through the County Development Plan. These funds will focus on the priorities and key aspects of the County Development Plan to sustainably grow the Region in accordance with the RSES and National Planning Framework (NPF). The carrying out of projects and opportunities in accordance with European, National, Regional and Development Plan policy will where possible seek to leverage appropriate funding streams at various levels in order to support the delivery of a number of objectives throughout this Plan. Some of the current funding options available are detailed accordingly: - 15.5.1 Project Ireland 2040 (NPF) Funds In 2018 the Government launched Project Ireland 2040 and, as part of this initiative, committed €4 billion in funding under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, Urban Regeneration and Development Fund, Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund and the Climate Action Fund. 15.5.1.1 Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) The €2 billion Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) is intended to drive regeneration and rejuvenation of strategic and under-utilised areas within key regional drivers and other large towns. The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (DHPLG) has responsibility for implementing the fund, which will operate on a competitive, bid-based Exchequer grant basis, with proposals being required to demonstrate that they will be: ■ Innovative and transformational urban regeneration projects; ■ Public-sector led and with the option of community and/or private sector partners; ■ Matched by at least 25 percent direct funding from other public and/or private sources; ■ A minimum bid of €2m; ■ A catalyst for development that would not otherwise occur; and ■ Likely to leverage significant further public and private sector investment. The Mall Longford play areaCounty Development Plan 2021–2027 409
- 15.5.1.2 Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) As part of Project Ireland 2040, the Government has committed to providing an additional €1 billion for a Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) over the period 2019 to 2027. The Fund will provide investment to support rural renewal for suitable projects in towns and villages with a population of less than 10,000, and outlying areas. The fund which is administered by the Department of Rural and Community Development provides an unprecedented opportunity to support the revitalisation of rural Ireland, to make a significant and sustainable impact on rural communities, and to address de-population in small rural towns, villages and rural areas. It will be a key instrument to support the objectives of the National Planning Framework, and in particular to achieve Strengthened Rural Economies and Communities – one of the National Strategic Outcomes of the NPF. 15.5.1.3 Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund The Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation launched funding under the Government’s new Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund, with €500 million available for co-funded projects involving enterprises and research partners over the period to 2027. Disruptive technology is that which has the potential to significantly alter markets and their functioning and significantly alter the way that businesses operate. While it involves a new product or process, it can also involve the emergence of a new business model. Disruption is about the combination of technology and business model innovation. Proposals are expected to address the development, deployment and commercialisation of one or more disruptive technologies to deliver new solutions through investment in the development and implementation of new products and services. Ultimately, the projects funded will create the jobs of the future. 15.5.1.4 Climate Action Fund The National Development Plan 2018-2027 sets out the creation of a Climate Action Fund to support climate action projects which will leverage investment by public and private bodies. The Fund will have an allocation of at least €500m over the period to 2027. The Climate Action Fund includes the objective of funding initiatives that contribute to the achievement of Ireland’s climate and energy targets in a cost-effective manner. It also offers the potential for innovative interventions which, in the absence of support from the Fund, would not otherwise be developed. 15.5.2 Other Funding Streams Outside of the funding mechanisms provided for under Project Ireland 2040, the following organisations provide potential funding opportunities for delivery of the Development Plan Objectives: - ■ European Funding Programmes - European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Regional Operational Programmes (ROPs); ■ Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF); ■ Regional Enterprise Development Fund (REDF); ■ Just Transition Fund; ■ Enterprise funding and business supports from other development agencies such as the local enterprise offices; ■ Town and Village Renewal; ■ Outdoor Rural Recreation Scheme; ■ CLAR; ■ GLAS Heritage Building Scheme; ■ Sustainable Energy Ireland Funding Streams etc. ■ Any other funds as deemed relevant by EMRA, the local authority or other relevant agency. Corlea Track visitor information centreLongford County Council 410
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