Roscommon Town LAP – Draft Ministerial Direction

Notice is hereby given that the Roscommon Town Local Area Plan 2024 – 2030 was formally adopted by the Roscommon Municipal District Elected Members at their meeting on the 25th July 2024.

As required under Sections 31AO(5) of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 (As Amended) the Planning Authority issued notification of the Plan’s adoption to the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR). The Chief Executive also informed the OPR of the decision of the Authority not to comply with certain recommendations made in the relevant report of the OPR, together with reasons for the decision of the Authority.

On the 4th September 2024 the Minister of State for Local Government and Planning issued a ‘Notice of Intention to Issue a Direction’ to the Planning Authority under Section 31 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 (As Amended) (‘the Act’). The Draft Direction concerns the zoning of two parcels of land. Interested parties are advised that these matters, in accordance with Section 31(6) of the Act, ‘shall not have effect’, notwithstanding their inclusion in the Plan as adopted by the Council and pending the issuing of the Minister’s Final Direction.

The Draft Direction sets out the following:

Delete the following Material Alterations from the adopted Local Area Plan such that the Local Area Plan boundary and subject lands revert to as indicated in the draft Local Area Plan:

(i) Material Amendment MA 45 – i.e. the Local Area Plan boundary (Map 1, Map 1a, Map 1b, Map 1c, Map 2 and Map 3) reverts to as indicated in the draft Local Area Plan, and the subject land to the north east at Roxborough reverts to not zoned and outside the Local Area Plan boundary, from Strategic Industrial / Enterprise Zones inside the Local Area Plan boundary;

and

(ii) Material Amendment MA 46 – i.e. the Local Area Plan boundary (Map 1, Map 1a, Map 1b, Map 1c, Map 2 and Map 3) reverts to as indicated in the draft Local Area Plan, and the subject land to the north east at The Walk and Cloonybeirne reverts to not zoned and outside the Local Area Plan boundary, from New Residential inside the Local Area Plan boundary,

and apply all necessary consequential updates to the text of the plan consistent with the foregoing.

STATEMENT OF REASONS

I. The Local Area Plan includes a material alteration to extend the draft Local Area Plan boundary and zone additional New Residential land at The Walk and Cloonybeirne which is located in a peripheral and non-sequential location, the majority of which is located outside the CSO settlement boundary of Roscommon Town, inconsistent with the Strategic Objective and Policy Objective CS 2.10 of the County Development Plan for the future growth and development of Roscommon Town to ensure that growth occurs in a sustainable and sequential manner while prioritising a low carbon, compact, consolidated and connected pattern of development, and with Policy Objectives CS 2.5 and TV 4.18 of the County Development Plan for the compact growth of Roscommon Town and to support the regeneration of the town centre and brownfield/infill lands and the consolidation of the urban area, and with objectives RPO 3.1 and RPO 3.2 of the RSES for compact growth, and fails to have regard to the policy and objective for the sequential approach to zoning under section 6.2.3 of the Development Plans, Guidelines for Planning Authorities (2022) (the Development Plans Guidelines).

II. The Local Area Plan includes a material alteration to revise the draft Local Area Plan boundary and zone additional land as Strategic Industrial / Enterprise Zones at Roxborough, which is located in a peripheral, non-sequential and unserviced location outside the CSO settlement boundary and Local Area Plan boundary for Roscommon Town. The material alteration is therefore inconsistent with the Strategic Objective and Policy Objective CS 2.10 of the County Development Plan for the future growth and development of Roscommon Town to ensure that growth occurs in a sustainable and sequential manner while prioritising a low carbon, compact, consolidated and connected pattern of development, and with Policy Objective CAEE 8.18 of the County Development Plan to ensure that land use and transport infrastructure are integrated to develop more sustainable settlements and is not made, in so far as possible, in a manner consistent with inter alia the Climate Action Plan 2024 and the achievement of the GHG emissions reduction targets of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015, as amended, and fails to have regard to section 6.2.5 of the Development Plans Guidelines that the evidence and rationale underpinning the zoning of land for employment purposes must be clear and strategic in nature, and fails to consider the sequential test and accessibility under section 1.4 of Appendix A of the Development Plans Guidelines.

III. The Local Area Plan has not been made in a manner consistent with, and has failed to implement, recommendations of the Office of the Planning Regulator made under section 31AO of the Act.

IV. The Minister is of the opinion that the Local Area Plan as made is inconsistent with the objectives of the Development Plan of the area, which is a requirement of section 19(2) of the Act.

V. The Minister is of the opinion that the Local Area Plan as made is not consistent with the objectives of the RSES, contrary to section 19(2) and section 27(1) of the Act.

VI. The Minister is of the opinion that the Local Area Plan as made is not consistent with National Policy Objectives 11 and 33 of the National Planning Framework.

VII. The Minister is of the opinion that the Local Area Plan as made fails to set out an overall strategy for the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.

VIII.  The Local Area Plan is not in compliance with the requirements of the Act.

Draft Direction Formal Public Consultation:

In accordance with the requirements of Section 31(7) of the Act, the Planning Authority will commence a period of public consultation on the Minister’s Notice of Intention to Issue a Direction for a period of 2 weeks between Friday 13th September and Friday 27th September 2024 inclusive, during which time a copy of the Draft Ministerial Direction may be inspected at the following locations:

• Roscommon County Council’s dedicated Development Plan website: rosdevplan.ie

• Planning Department, Roscommon County Council, Áras an Chontae, Roscommon, F42 VR98.

Written Submissions or Observations in Respect of the Draft Direction:

Written submission or observations, in respect of the Draft Direction, may be made (one medium only) to Roscommon County Council between Friday 13th September and Friday 27th September 2024 inclusive, as follows:

• Roscommon County Council’s dedicated Development Plan website: www.rosdevplan.ie

Or

• In writing, marking “Draft Direction to the Roscommon Town Local Area Plan 2024-2030”, Forward Planning Section, Planning Department, Roscommon County Council, Áras an Chontae, Roscommon, F42 VR98.

Please Note: The closing date for submissions or observations is 4pm, Friday 27th September, 2024.

Observations or submissions must include the full name and address of the person(s) making the submission and where relevant, the body or organisation represented.

Please Note: Late observations/submissions will not be accepted.

Chief Executive’s Report

Following expiry of the 2-week public consultation period and not more than 4 weeks later, a Chief Executive’s Report must be prepared on the submissions/observations received during this period. This Report must then be furnished to the Office of the Planning Regulator, the Elected Members and the Minister for Local Government and Planning.

Please note that observations or submissions will be made public on the Development Plan website: www.rosdevplan.ie and at the Planning Department of County Council and will also form part of the statutory Chief Executive’s Report subsequently published. The details including the names of those making submission may be shared with relevant Council and Government Departments or their agents involved in the process and may form part of reports linked to the making of any Direction.

Roscommon County Council is subject to the provisions of the Data Protection Act (as amended) and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In order to assist us in complying with Data Protection and GDPR please include your name and contact details (and where relevant, details of any organisation, community group or company etc., which you represent), on a separate sheet to the content of your submission/ observation. This processing of your personal data is lawful under Article 6 (1)(e) of the GDPR regulations. The Council’s Data Protection Policy is available on the Council website.

Please note that in accordance with Section 19 of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act, 2018 all valid submissions received shall be published on the above referenced Development Plan website within 10 working days of its receipt by the Council. The planning process is an open and public process and therefore your submission (in part or in total) will be available.

Signed: Greg O’Donnell

A/Director of Services