Review of Wicklow County Council County Development Plan 2004-2010

Wicklow County Council published notice of their intention to review the County Development Plan 2004-2010 and prepare a new County Development Plan for the period 2010-2016 on 29th October 2008. A consultation period was then held in which submissions were invited with regard to the new Development Plan by 23rd December 2008.

Following the end of this consultation period, a Manager’s report was prepared, which is currently available on the Council’s website. The Manager’s Report was issued to the members of Wicklow County Council for their consideration on the 17th February 2009, after which time the members issued direction to the Manager for the preparation of the draft Development Plan by 28th April 2009. Preparation of the draft Development Plan is now underway running for a 12 weeks period from 28th April, following which the Draft Plan will be submitted to members for their consideration on 21st July 2009. An 8-week period will follow when this draft will be considered by the members and the Draft Plan may be adopted or amended by resolution.

Wicklow County Council has stipulated that the draft plan is expected to be made on 15th September, when a notice of preparation of draft will be published in local newspapers. At this time a draft of the plan will be sent to the Minister and any relevant Government bodies for their consideration. The Draft Plan will then be on display for not less than 10 weeks, during which time further written submissions will be invited from members of the public. This consultation period is expected to run from 29th September to 8th December. The County Manager will then prepare a further report on the submissions received, and submit the report to the Council Members for consideration. This report is expected to be issues on 2nd March 2010.

If you need any further details, please contact bps on 0404-66060.

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Wicklow County plan to go on display

THE Wicklow County Development Plan needs to nurture the rural nature of the county. On Monday members of Wicklow County Council agreed to put the draft of the County Development Plan for 2010 to 2016 on public display.

Director of Services Des O'Brien said that the council hoped to have the draft plan ready to consideration in July.

Cllr. Conal Kavanagh said that the council needed to identify small growth towns to develop them as rural clusters where the infrastructure would be put in place to sustain them.

Cllr. Jimmy O'Shaughnessy said it was a very important document and said 'if common sense had prevailed in the past we (the council) wouldn't need as many Section 140 requests to allow people who are born and reared in an area to get planning permission'.

Wicklow People

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Controversial re-zoned land at Brittas Bay is up for sale

NEARLY 15 acres of land at Brittas Bay which was zoned for a hotel and leisure facilities during the controversial drafting of the current Wicklow County Development Plan has been put up for sale with a price tag of over e4 million.

The land at Castletimon, Brittas Bay, was zoned during a meeting in July 2004 which one member of Wicklow County Council later dubbed a 'rezoning frenzy'.

The 14.77 acres of land on the Castletimon Road is less than a mile from the beach. Any development would still require planning permission but the land has been zoned for a hotel and self catering apartments, as well as varied leisure facilities.

In 2004, when the development plan was being drafted, council planners advised against the zoning, citing a nearby aquifer, stream and gravel deposits as well as the lack of water and waste water services and an inadequate road. They also pointed to a listed view and an open, exposed landscape.

The rezoning application was one of a handful to make it into the finalised county development plan. To date there has been no planning application lodged for the land.

Wicklow People

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