Irishplanningnews.ie

Finally the Environment Minister has made appointments to An Bord Pleanála.  The appointments include an architect, a former An Bord Pleanala inspector, an archaeologist/town planner along with an environmental engineer.  Hopefully this will now enable the Board to deal with the backlog of decisions currently before them. Given the need to promote development in the country at this time it seems crazy that the delay in appointing members was ever allowed to occur.

Demolition of existing Liberty Hall complex, construct mixed-use building part 22 storey, part three storey over two basement levels, 74 bike parking spaces, all site works and services. (Dublin city, first/third party)

 Construction of bio-energy facility and ancillary provisions together with retention and change of authorised use of site infrastructural items. (Kilkenny, first party)

 Retention of existing explosive magazine facility, change of use from private storage to commercial and distribution of explosives, extension of facility by construction of sheds (Kilkenny, first and third party)

 Construction of a 3 storey building to cater for primary care services and associated doctor’s surgery suite at ground floor level with all associated site works (Louth, first and third party).

The population reached 4.6 million in April 2011, the highest level in 150 years.

Population growth has been very strong despite emigration and the economic downturn, driven mainly by an extraordinarily high birth rate with more than 70,000 births per year.

Most of the new population growth is concentrated in the commuter belt outside the capital.

Laois had the fastest-growing population of any county (up 20 per cent), more than twice the growth rate for the country as a whole. Other areas of rapid growth included Cavan, Fingal (both 14 per cent), Longford and Meath (both 13 per cent). Leinster now accounts for some 55 per cent of the entire population.

Munster showed the slowest growth of the provinces at 6.2 per cent while its share of the population was 27.1 per cent. Connacht grew by 7.6 per cent and had 11.8 per cent share, while Ulster (part of) grew strongly at 10.3 per cent and had 6.4 per cent share.

 The number of people in urban areas (i.e. towns with a population of 1,500 or more) surpassed 2.8 million for the first time.

 62.0 per cent of the population lived in urban areas in April 2011 compared with 46.4 per cent 50 years ago.

 The total number of urban centres increased from 170 in 2006 to 197 in 2011.

 Five towns joined the category of 10,000 or more (i.e. large towns) since the last census (Ashbourne, Cavan, Bettystown, Tramore and Enniscorthy) bringing the total number to 39.

 Dublin city has lost population share of the total urban population at the expense of other urban areas over the past fifty years.  In 1961 Dublin city accounted for over half the urban population of the country with 50.9 per cent living there. In April 2011 this had fallen to 39.0 per cent.

An Bord Pleanala has refused permission for the N2 Slane Bypass Road Scheme.  The proposed bypass followed a route to the east of Slane Village and measured approximately 3.5 kilometres.  It included a bridge over the River Boyne  approximately 1 kilometre to the east of the existing N2 Slane Bridge.  The Board acknowledged the traffic concerns at Slane Village but refused permission for two reasons.  The first reason related to the  fact that that alternatives to a bypass had not been adequately explored and in this context, the Board considers that the proposed development would have a detrimental impact on the rural character, landscape setting, cultural amenity and archaeological heritage of the Brú na Bóinne archaeological complex, and would be contrary to the heritage protection provisions of the Development Plan. The second reason was that the proposed development of a bypass at Slane would tend to undermine public investment in the existing strategic road network, and would have negative implications for the quality of the environment and road safety along the N2 route. Read the rest of this entry »

Wexford County Council referred a question to An Bord Pleanala as to whether the replacement of a mobile home on site at Ballinoulart, Kilmuckridge, County Wexford is or is not development or is or is not exempted development.

It appears that there has been a mobile home, in various positions, on the subject site over a long period of time (c.1959). The mobile home is intermittently used as a holiday home.

 The Council stated that it is clear that there has been a continuation of use on the site but as the current mobile home is in a different location to the previous mobile  home, they require a determination from the Bord.

 The owner submitted that the replacement of the mobile is not development; the new mobile is precisely the same type of structure (similar dimensions and appearance) and is used for the same purpose as the previous mobile. It is submitted that there has been no material change in use of any structures on the land. Read the rest of this entry »

A 10 year Permission was sought for the construction of a wind farm consisting of five wind turbines (hub height not exceeding 80m, blade diameter not exceeding 82.4m), an electrical substation building, an anemometer mast, construction and upgrade of internal access tracks, and associated works all at Rockmarshall, Co. Louth.
Louth County Council refused permission due to due to impact on landscape (Area of Aoutstanding Natural Beauty) and shadow flicker impact on residents.
Over 1,200 local residents had signed a petition against the development.

A plan that envisages three new villages for Dublin has gone on public display. The draft Planning Scheme for the Cherrywood Strategic Development Zone (264 hectares), put forward by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, proposes three new villages, a town centre and an employment base to potentially accommodate over 17,000 workers. The scheme will be on public display for six weeks at the council’s offices at Dún Laoghaire and Dundrum before it is returned to councillors for consideration. Last submissions 11th April 2012.