Galway County Council has embarked on a review of the current Local Area Plans (LAPs) for the towns of Oranmore and Athenry. The Council announced its intention to replace these LAPs earlier this year and it published Background Issues Papers for each town to stimulate public consultation in late May 2011.
The new LAPs are being prepared to take account of the many changes that have occurred since the current LAPs were adopted. These changes include the Core Strategy Variation to the County Development Plan that was adopted earlier this year and the new Regional Planning Guidelines for the West 2010-2022. The new LAPs for each town will require to comply with the adopted Core Strategy and all other relevant County Development Plan policies and objectives.
The previously published Background Issues Papers set out the overall planning issues for both towns and indicate the implications for the new LAPs arising from the Core Strategy. Of particular note is the extent and location of lands for future residential and commercial development. In this regard, the new Core Strategy sets a Settlement Strategy for the County and allocates population growth to various towns and villages. The Background Issues Papers note that the amount of existing residentially-zoned land in both Oranmore and Athenry significantly exceeds the identified likely demand arising from the population growth figures.
We understand that the Draft LAPs for Oranmore and Athenry are nearing completion. The Draft LAPs will set out the various planning policies and development objectives in these towns that inform all future development and planning decisions for the coming years. They will identify areas for future urban expansion for a range of uses. They will also identify areas where growth is to be prohibited or restricted, including areas where current zoning may be removed or phased. The LAPs are therefore very important in planning terms and are the main point of reference in assessing planning applications.
The Draft LAPs for Oranmore and Athenry will be published for consultation soon – expected within the next few weeks. This public consultation stage is a very important opportunity to influence the final plans for these towns and this will therefore be a valuable opportunity to comment on the new LAPs. Our next newsletter will include an update on these Plans.