Draft Variation No. 1 - Main changes to Sligo CDP 2017-2023

Reasons for varying the CDP

The National Planning Framework, which replaced the NSS, did not retain the Gateway designation for Sligo City, but recognised it as a Regional Centre and highlighted it as being a growth driver to a greater extent than any other towns in the North-West.

The RSES identifies Sligo City as an “urban place of regional scale” and designates it a Regional Growth Centre. The Regional Strategy envisages a 40% increase in Sligo City’s population by 2040, equivalent to circa 8,000 additional residents, giving a total of 26,000 people. Intermediate “targets” are set for 2026 (+4,400 persons) and 2031 (+2,200).

The RSES includes a Regional Growth Centre Strategic Plan for Sligo, which sets out broad development goals and specific regional policy objectives.

It is necessary to incorporate the above changes in designation and population growth targets into the CDP, replacing the previous designation and growth targets. There are further provisions in the NPF and RSES which require modifications to existing development plan policies.

These are material changes, which can only be made after public display and consultation in accordance with the legislative framework set out in the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended).

Main changes to the CDP Introduction (Chapter 1)

The introductory chapter of the CDP includes references to national and regional policies applicable to County Sligo. The changes summarize the main provisions of the NPF and RSES regarding the County and the Regional Growth Centre of Sligo.

For details, please refer to the complete Draft Variation document (click on the PDF on the right, under Materials)

Main changes to the Core Strategy (Chapter 3)

The Core Strategy of the CDP consists of a set of sectoral strategies and specifies population targets and corresponding amounts of land needed to be zoned for residential purposes.

The Core Strategy Map does not change.

The Settlement Hierarchy remains largely the same. The subsection focusing on the Gateway is replaced by a summary of the Regional Growth Centre provisions contained in the RSES.  

Section 3.3 Rural settlement includes additional provisions of the NPF, which strengthen the existing rural housing policies without introducing further restrictions.

In Section 3.4 Population and housing land, population projections for the County and target for Sligo City are updated in accordance with the NPF and RSES. The new population figures are similar to the existing ones, only the timelines for achieving such targets are longer. The corresponding overall amounts of land zoned for housing in the County are adequate and do not need to be revised during the lifetime of the current CDP.

For details, please refer to the complete Draft Variation document (click on the PDF on the right, under Materials)

Main changes to Economic Development (Chapter 4)

While the economic climate has changed radically in the first quarter of 2020, Sligo County Council’s approach to economic development, as outlined in Section 4.1, remains focused on supporting growth and facilitating the provision of essential infrastructure.

A new initiative is the Atlantic Economic Corridor, which seeks to build on the potential of large urban centres in the West, including Sligo.

It should be noted that there is no change proposed to the Tourism Development section or to the Retail Strategy.

For details, please refer to the complete Draft Variation document (click on the PDF on the right, under Materials)

Main changes to Housing (Chapter 5) 

Changes to Section 5.1 Housing Strategy include updated population figures, housing land requirements and equivalent housing units, to correspond with the Core Strategy tables A and B in Chapter 3 of the CDP.

The new Section 5.1.1 Securing compact growth seeks to implement the National and Regional Policy Objectives targeting the delivery of specific ratios of all new homes within the built-up footprint of settlements, in proportion to the settlement size.

Several additional strategic housing policies are also proposed, in order to support the implementation of the above-mentioned national and regional requirements.

For details, please refer to the complete Draft Variation document (click on the PDF on the right, under Materials)

 Main changes to Transport and Mobility (Chapter 8)

Changes to the Transport and Mobility chapter consist of updates regarding the timeframe for completing major projects for both national road improvements and urban road infrastructure.

For details, please refer to the complete Draft Variation document (click on the PDF on the right, under Materials)