Proposed changes to the Ennis and Environs Development Plan, including a New Core Strategy, are currently on public consultation. The proposed Variation of the Development Plan will see a substantial reduction in land available for residential development during the lifetime of the Plan. Submissions can now be made to Clare County Council and Ennis Town Council.
As we have reported previously in our Newsletter, the new Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2010 requires the incorporation of “Core Strategies” in all Development Plans. The Core Strategies should provide a clear evidence-based development framework for Plans, having regard to the National Spatial Strategy and relevant Regional Planning Guidelines.
Ennis Town Council and Clare County Council have recently published a Variation of the current Ennis and Environs Development Plan 2008-2014. There are a number of Variations proposed, including the new Core Strategy and the inclusion of joint Housing and Retail Strategies.
The new Core Strategy is based on the population figures and growth targets set out in the Mid-West Regional Planning Guidelines 2010-2022. These show that the target population of Ennis in 2022 is 32,953, rising from a 2006 Census population of 24,253. The target population for 2014, which is the end period of the current Development Plan, is 28,821. This is a very substantial reduction from the target set when the Plan was adopted in 2008, which provided a high growth scenario target of almost 36,000 by 2014.
Based on the revised population growth figures up to 2014, the Variation states that 88 hectares of residential land is required to accommodate the new households. The Core Strategy notes that the current Plan provides for 376 hectares of residential development, which is clearly well in excess of requirements.
The current Ennis Plan was subject to a separate Variation in 2010, when the residentially-zoned lands were prioritised and phased. This resulted from an apparent over-zoning of land for residential development and concerns raised by the Department of Environment at the time. The 2010 Variation provided for 3 phases of development on residential lands. The figures show that 224 hectares were allocated to phase 1, with 154 hectares for phase 2 and 17 hectares phase 3.
The current Variation includes a number of revised maps, including for land use zoning and flood risk management. The currently proposed Variation, as outlined above, proposes a reduction in phase 1 lands to 79 hectares, with the balance up to the 88 hectare requirement coming from town centre and redevelopment sites. The proposed Variation states that all new residential developments (excluding single houses) will be concentrated on phase 1 lands during the Plan period up to 2014. Whilst this may be subject to monitoring and review, this effectively means that non-phase 1 residential lands cannot be developed before 2014. In addition, a new Development Plan will require to be adopted in 2014 and the zoning or phasing of any lands will also be further reviewed for the new Plan, potentially resulting in an overall reduction in residentially-zoned lands.
The statutory procedure for the proposed Variation allows public consultation at this stage, prior to the final decision of Councillors. The proposed Variation and related documents are available on Clare County Council’s website and any submission on the Variation must be made by Monday 9th May 2011.