Oranhill, Oranmore Residential Grant
MKO is pleased to have provided Planning and Ecological input for 70 no. residential units in Oranhill, Oranmore, Co. Galway for our client BRTW Oranmore 2 Limited. The application was granted by An Bord Pleanála following a first-party appeal after a refusal by Galway County Council. The 70 units consist of apartments and houses, with provision of high-quality public spaces including a playground and homezones, as well as pedestrian permeability measures to surrounding lands. The development will make a meaningful contribution to the sustainable and compact growth of Oranmore and the achievement of Housing Core Strategy figures for Galway County Council.
Centre Parks expansion begins construction
MKO welcomes the news that our client Center Parcs Ireland Limited has started construction on their €100 million expansion of Center Parcs Longford. The development includes the addition of 198 lodges, and treehouses, increasing the capacity of the resort to approximately 3,500 guests per break. Along with this, Center Parcs will see the upgrade of existing facilities and the creation of 300 jobs. The application was granted by Longford County Council in September 2022, and after a third-party appeal, was subsequently granted by An Bord Pleanála in November 2023. The development will be a major boost to the continued economic development of the Midlands region, driving growth and innovation in the tourism industry.
Planning news
Guillotined Planning Bill
The Planning and Development Bill passed the Dail late Wednesday night and will progress to the Seanad. In order to expedite the process the Government ‘Guillotined’ the legislation, setting a cap on debate time before the Bill is presented for a vote. A number of minor amendments were adopted during the debate on Tuesday and Wednesday to clarify and tidy up sections of the Bill. However, despite passing the Daíl, the Bill will not be enacted by summer recess as previously committed to. The Seanad’s Bill Office informed senators that it would take several more weeks to process amendments. This means the committee stage will be scheduled over three days from Monday 15 to Wednesday 17 July, and the Report and Final Stage will be handled in the autumn.
Ban on soliciting ‘go-away’ payments
A new offence will be introduced shortly making it a crime to demand ‘go-away’ money for not lodging appeals or judicial reviews against planning applications. The changes will also enable developers to seek the dismissal of a planning appeal or judicial review if they are asked for money from the appellant to withdraw the objection. The move follows several incidents where payments were sought from developers to withdraw actual or threatened appeals against housing and other developments. It is hoped that the measure will contribute to the speedy delivery of new housing stock, and help reduce delays currently associated with the decision-making process in An Bord Pleanála.
Report of the Housing Commission
The report of the Housing Commission, containing 65 recommendations to respond to the housing crisis, was released by the Government last month. Within the Report, the Housing Commission calls for a ‘radical strategic reset of housing policy’ to address a deficit of up to 256,000 homes it identified at the time of the 2022 Census. Since the launch of the Housing for All Strategy in 2021, there has been strong momentum in housing delivery growth, with 33,00 units delivered last year. However, the Report identifies that demand continues to outrun delivery and that correcting the deficit will require the delivery of up to 60,000 homes per year.
Measures proposed include changes to the planning system, significant reform of the rental sector for tenants and landlords, a goal that 20% of Ireland’s housing stock should be social and cost rental, and establishing high-yielding housing delivery zones at agreed strategic locations. The report also contains a first-of-its-kind study on the cost of urban sprawl, an analysis of the cost-effectiveness of Irish public spending on housing, and a comparison of the quality of Irish homes to international benchmarks.
Minister Ryan gets government approval for measures to speed up climate transition
Government approval has been granted for two memos aimed at streamlining and accelerating Ireland’s renewable energy and climate infrastructure delivery. The first, the Accelerating Renewable Electricity (ARE) Taskforce Implementation Plan, outlines nearly 70 actions to achieve Ireland’s renewable electricity targets by 2030. It addresses matters related to grid development, planning, and market improvement. The need to align local plans with national climate and renewable targets is also addressed.
The second memo relates to the Bill to streamline the Environmental Protection Agency licensing system by establishing definite timeframes for decisions and enhancing regulatory efficiency. This decision aims to provide more certainty for EPA licence applications across various industrial sectors and complements the timelines being put forward in the Planning and Development Bill 2023.
Consultations
Sligo County Development Plan 2024 – 2030 – Material Alterations
Sligo County Council have drafted a draft County Development Plan for Sligo 2024 – 2030. The members of the Council have resolved that the draft County Development Plan be amended, following the draft Development Plan and the second Chief Executives Report. The proposed amendments constitute material alterations to the Draft plan. Members of the public are invited to submit written submissions or observations regarding the proposed amendments only. Submissions must be made before 4pm on Friday 5th July 2024 via online, email or in writing.
- Email: cdp@sligococo.ie
- Post: Ms. Siobhan Gillen, Administrative Officer, Planning Section, Sligo County Council, City Hall, Quay Street, Sligo, F91 Y763
Consultation on the Draft Portlaoise Local Area Plan 2024 – 2030
Pursuant to Section 20 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 as amended, Laois County Council being the Planning Authority for the functional area of County Laois, hereby gives notice of the preparation of a Draft Local Area Plan for Portlaoise 2024-2030.
Submissions must be made before 4pm on Wednesday 26th June 2024. Details on how to submit an observation are below.
- Email: portlaoiselap@laoiscoco.ie
- Post: Senior Planner, Planning Section, Áras an Chontae, JFL Ave., Portlaoise, County Laois.
Proposed Amendment No.1 to the Callan Local Area Plan 2019-2028
In accordance with Section 20(3) of the Planning & Development Act 2000, as amended, notice is hereby given that Kilkenny County Council is proposing an Amendment to the Callan Local Area Plan 2019.
Amendment No. 1 to the LAP proposes to change the zoning of three sites in the Clashacollare area of Callan.
Submissions must be made before 5pm on Wednesday 26th June 2024. Details on how to submit an observation are below.
- Email: ourplan@kilkennycoco.ie
- Post: Senior Planner, Kilkenny County Council, John Street, Kilkenny