Donegal County Council is meeting in a special session today to adopt the County Development Plan, which will guide planning decisions until at least 2030, and possibly beyond.
Today is the deadline for a decision, with members considering the recommendations of the Chief Executive following the latest round of public consultation.
That includes the recommendations of the Office of the Planning Regulator, some of which are opposed by members. In particular, an OPR proposal to reduce the proportion of houses built in rural areas is proving contentious, with members insisting that the plan sticks with a commitment to allowing 25% of housing development in the county to take place in rural areas, instead of the 20% being recommended by the Chief Executive on foot of the OPR’s submission. That effectively breaks down to members wanting 2133 housing units, while the Chief Executive is recommending 1536, a gap of 597.
Cathaoirleach Cllr Martin Harley says today’s meeting is a very important one which must lead to a decision, particularly as new planning laws may extend the plan’s timeframe to 10 years……..
