Please see submission attached.
Dungarvan and Ballinroad Local Area Plan
Closed7 Feb, 2023, 9:00am - 7 Mar, 2023, 11:59pm
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A LOCAL AREA PLAN?
Waterford City and County Council are commencing the preparation of a Local Area Plan (LAP) for Dungarvan and Ballinroad. The purpose of this LAP is to set out an overarching strategy for the proper planning and sustainable development of the town over the life of the LAP to 2029. The LAP will incorporate a spatial framework for guiding the future development of transportation, regeneration, heritage, social and community infrastructure/amenities and natural/cultural assets in Dungarvan and Ballinroad. The LAP will be based on and be fully consistent with the Waterford City and County Development Plan 2022 – 2028, and in particular the vision, strategic outcomes, land use zoning objectives, Housing Strategy and other strategies underpinning the Development Plan. In other words, the LAP will give a local focus to the strategies of the development plan.
Planning legislation requires that a LAP be prepared for all towns with a population of over 5,000 people. In 2016 population of Dungarvan and Ballinroad was 10,388 while the Development Plan core strategy envisages an increase in the population to 11,864 by 2028. Census 2022 recorded a 10.9% increase in Waterford’s population from the last census in 2016.
The LAP is currently at a stage of pre-draft public consultation which will be followed by the preparation and publication of a draft LAP. If you are interested in the development of Dungarvan and Ballinroad and wish to contribute to the shaping of its sustainable future, please make a submission to Waterford City and County Council via our consultation portal by midnight on the 7th March 2023.
Getting involvedThe LAP process provides a fresh opportunity to take a ‘big picture’ approach to looking at the key issues affecting Dungarvan and Ballinroad and plot a development strategy for future sustainable growth and regeneration. A successful LAP is one that provides for a robust development framework which both implements quality planning outcomes, and also enjoys broad-based community support within a settlement. Accordingly, local input is considered vital to the entire LAP process and the Planning Authority values what you have to say. It is intended that this Issues Paper will kick-start interest and debate which will provide helpful feedback, and result in a stronger and more informed Plan. Submissions are not limited to the issues raised in this paper so please feel free to highlight any other area of interest which you consider relevant to the LAP. As a first step, Waterford City and County Council are now inviting interested parties or individuals, including but not restricted to, residents, business owners, retailers, community groups, children or groups representing children, and sports groups, to identify key issues that need to be addressed in the LAP on how Dungarvan and Ballinroad should develop into the future. There are two key components to this pre-draft consultation process: • An invitation to individuals, stakeholders and interest groups to make submissions via our consultation portal; and • A public ‘drop-in’ event to be held in the Civic Offices, Dungarvan on 15th February from 4pm to 7pm. |
STRATEGIC PLANNING CONTEXT
The Dungarvan and Ballinroad LAP will sit within a hierarchy of plans and takes its guidance from those above. While the LAP is required to align with relevant provisions contained in national, regional and city and county development plan, it will also provide for locally tailored and site-specific objectives and actions, in response to a town’s unique development needs and characteristics. We have provided a land use zoning map overleaf taken from the Waterford City and County Development Plan 2022 – 2028 which highlights a number of Specific Development Objectives (SDOs) for Dungarvan and Ballinroad. The full schedule of SDO’s is also set out herein. Planning legislation requires that a LAP be consistent with its overarching development plan so while no change will be made to the land use zoning provisions as set out in the Development Plan, we invite you to identify additional SDOs which are more local and site specific to your local area/ neighbourhood. To help guide future development the LAP will include a preliminary core strategy map as a first step towards identifying key spatial development of the town beyond the lifetime of the current City and County Development Plan.
The Southern Region Assembly’s Regional Spatial and Economic Strategic (RSES) has identified Dungarvan as a Key Town. This designation reflects the strategic location on the Waterford-Cork N25 transport corridor and its former County Town status. Today Dungarvan and Ballinroad function as an important tourist centre for the Waterford Greenway. Dungarvan and Ballinroad is an important economic driver for West Waterford. It has a considerable food focus based on high quality local produce. The town is a significant location for indigenous industry and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), with educational and health/community facilities and a vibrant retail and services sector serving the local community and an expanding tourism sector. The town is the Gaeltacht Service Town for the nearby Gaeltacht na nDéise.
In addition to the LAP, the Council are preparing a ‘Dungarvan 2040’ plan that will provide a cohesive and planned approach to Dungarvan’s social and economic development. The lifespan of this Dungarvan 2040 Plan goes beyond that of the LAP and will identify opportunities to make best use of the range of Government supports including but not limited to Croí Cónaithe, Town and Village Renewal Scheme funding, LEADER and Rural Regeneration Development Funding and other economic development supports to achieve the agreed objectives outlined in Dungarvan 2040.
THE KEY CHALLENGES TO DELIVERING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR DUNGARVAN AND BALLINROAD.
- Developing a Dungarvan that has a clear identity, is a top international tourist destination and place to do business, work and live, due to its natural environment, its wealth of historic and cultural assets, its promotion of active travel, its diverse economic base and its excellent quality of life.
- Developing a framework to accommodate substantial residential and employment growth over the life of the Local Area Plan to 2029 and beyond, consistent with the Waterford City and County Development Plan 2022 - 2028.
- Developing a 10-minute town by delivering affordable homes in high quality environments, accessible to services, close to where people go to school, work and socialize.
- Strengthen the role of Dungarvan as a Key Town as set out in the RSES and developing its role as a Gaeltacht Service Town.
- Supporting and delivering the plan-led solutions identified in the Dungarvan 2040 Strategic Framework and Implementation Plan.
- Making Dungarvan and Ballinroad more climate resilient by supporting a reduction in carbon emissions and integrating adaptation measures, placing the town on a path towards net zero emissions by 2050.
- Developing Community & Sports Facilities at appropriate locations within Dungarvan and Ballinroad.
- Developing key servicing infrastructure such as water and wastewater facilities, surface water management and flood defence measures while incorporating a nature-based solution approach to infrastructure delivery.
- Ensuring that Dungarvan and Ballinroad act as a key economic driver for West Waterford by supporting local businesses, becoming a digital knowledge hub and enhancing employment locations that build on synergies with SETU and Gaeltacht na nDéise.
- Securing more development within the existing footprint of the town. Consolidating the town centre with a focus on the regeneration of under used buildings and strategic sites to encourage greater vibrancy, particularly those regeneration and opportunity sites identified in Appendix 21 of the Waterford City and County Development Plan 2022 - 2028..
- Protecting and enhancing the natural, built and cultural heritage assets of Dungarvan, Abbeyside and Ballinroad as well as managing and utilizing the vitally important coastal and tourist resource that is Dungarvan Harbour
- Achieving Biodiversity gain in new developments. Integration of ecological corridors, such as trees and hedgerows, enhancing wetlands, the creation of habitat and feeding and nesting areas for bird species in new developments. Application of SuDs and Nature -Based Solutions shall be integral to new development.
How do you think the Local Area Plan should address these issues?
FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
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Housing and Sustainable Communities
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Economic Development, Tourism and Retail Services
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Climate Action and Green Infrastructure [1]and Biodiversity
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Transport and Mobility
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Urban Regeneration and Placemaking
How can the LAP help deliver a high-quality urban environment and achieve a strong sense of place within the town? |
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HOW TO MAKE YOUR SUBMISSION:
Pre-draft submissions on the Dungarvan and Ballinroad Local Area Plan can be submitted online or sent by post during the consultation period.
Note: There will be a further opportunity to make submissions on the Draft LAP and any subsequent material alterations to the Draft LAP as the plan-making process progresses. Public notices will be published as these consultation stages arise in later this year.
Please make your submission online:
On the Dungarvan and Ballinroad Local Area Plan’s dedicated public consultation portal:
https://consult.waterfordcouncil.ie/
or in writing:
‘Draft Dungarvan and Ballinroad LAP 2023 – 2029’,
c/o The Planning Department,
Waterford City and County Council,
Menapia Building, The Mall,
Waterford City.
X91 FXN4.
Closing date for submissions: midnight on the 7th March 2023. Please note that late submissions will not be considered.
Please make your submission by one medium only i.e. online or in hardcopy. Email or faxed submissions will not be accepted.
[1] Green Infrastructure is defined as a strategically planned network of high quality natural and semi-natural areas with other environmental features, which is designed and managed to deliver a wide range of ecosystem services and protect biodiversity in both rural and urban settings.
[2] A 10 min town is where a range of community facilities and services are accessible in short walking and cycling timeframes from homes or accessible by high quality public transport to these services in larger settlements.
Contents
Observations
Observations
Footpath required Ballinroad
I am a resident of Ballinroad with a young family who regularly use the road between the church and Clonea Road round-about.
This road has no safe pedestrian footpath or cycle lane for the...
Dangerous road in the Ballinroad area
This road has been promised to the people of Ballinroad and has never been delivered. This should be no. 1 on the list of priorities. It is a serious safety concern.
Provision of sports pitches and open spaces for sports
Please see our submission attached.
Green Infrastructure, Urban Regeneration & Placemaking
(1) in terms of the establishment of an integrated Green Infrastructure network within the town that will support increased levels of biodiversity and carbon sequestration while enhancing our...