Dear Sir/Madam,

I wish to object to draft variation 1 of Sligo CDP 2024-2030 on the following grounds:

- Sustainability

Zoning large areas of open fields in a village as small as Strandhill without any long term strategic vision or acknowledgment of the current infrastructure limitations is short‑sighted by Sligo County Council. Strandhill needs sustainable development that is linked to an overall masterplan a comprehensive, long-term (10-15 year) strategic document that outlines a vision for the physical, social, and economic growth of an area. It should serve as a blueprint for developers and planners to guide sustainable development, defining land use, infrastructure, and public spaces.

2 - The proposal would inhibit any future development of Strandhill National School

If developments are allowed to proceed this will completely land lock the school and prevent any possibility for future expansion of the school necessary to serve the needs of a growing population.

3. The Waste Water Treatment Plant in Strandhill is already overburdened with raw sewerage overflowing onto roads and car parks. Major remediation works to this treatment plant are required to facilitate the existing residents and major influx of annual tourists to Strandhill. Concerns with percolation of pollutants into our groundwater during construction would need to be considered. Our coastal waters are also at increased risk of pollution.

4. Traffic congestion in the main junction into the village on R292 is a major risk to public health and safety concerns at the church, golf club road and to children attending the national school, many of whom walk or cycle to school. We need to prioritise the health and safety of our children and to continue to encourage them to cycle and walk to school. An increase of traffic in this area will not help achieve this goal. This junction would need major re-consideration to make it safe for all road users.

I also wish to request reversal of zoning PAZ 56 from greenbelt to residential.

PAZ 56 allowed 0.70 ha in Strandhill belonging to three sisters be changed from GB (Green Belt) to nRES ( new residential areas) to facilitate the building of houses at Larass, Strandhill, Co. Sligo despite concerns from raised by SEA, OPR and sligo county council chief executive - details of which are laid out at the end of this statement.

I would like to object to PAZ -56 and urge that it be removed from Sligo County Development 2024 – 2030 for reasons laid out below:

PAZ-56 is in a peripheral location outside the CSO settlement boundary and if rezoned residential would leapfrog extensive undeveloped residential zoned land including Strategic Land Reserve closer to the village centre. This does not conform with the sequential approach and is inconsistent with NPO 3(c) of the NPF for compact growth. It is considered that these type of small pockets of isolated one-off dwellings undermine the principles of compact growth and sequential development criteria, result in dispersed patterns of residential development which are not contiguous to the urban envelope, and exacerbate ribbon development and urban sprawl.
PAZ-56 is not fully serviced or serviceable during the six year period of the CDP 2024 – 2030. Paz -56 is not Tier 1 or even Tier 2. The public sewer does not extend to the lands and there is no present commitment by Uisce Eireann to provide the required wastewater structure. In accordance with the National Policy Objective 72c (NPF), land that cannot be serviced within the life of the plan should not be zoned for development. If it is zoned residential this would be inconsistent with NPO 72a-c tiered approach to zoning and fail to have regard to the policy and objective under section 6.2.1 of the Development Plans Guidelines for zoning to be informed by settlement capacity audit.
PAZ-56 is located in a cul de sac which has no footpaths and a blind corner which presents a safety issue for current residents and any potential future residents.

Yours sincerely,

Mary Quinn

ADDITIONAL SUPPORTING INFORMATION BELOW:

VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS REPONSES TO DATE TO PAZ-56:

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) – June 2024

The SEA Environmental Report identifies that PAZ-56, PAZ – 57, PAZ-58 "would not provide the most evidence-based framework for development and would the potential to undermine sustainable development and proper planning" and as having the potential to ' probably Conflict with status of SEOs – unlikely to be fully mitigated.'

Sligo County Council Chief Executive (CE) – Final Report Sept 2024

When this proposed zoning amendment PAZ-56 was examined by Chief Executive, they in their initial, subsequent and final reports, did not support this amendment stating "the subject lands are neither fully serviced (Tier 1), nor serviceable during the six year period of the CDP 2024 – 2030 (Tier 2). The public sewer does not extend to the lands and there is no present commitment by Uisce Eireann to provide the required wastewater infrastructure. In accordance with the National Policy Objective 72c (NPF) land that cannot be serviced within the life of the plan should not be zoned for development."

Uisce Eireann/ Irish Water – July 2024

States when "available network information indicates network extensions may be required. Those that require long network extensions (more than 150m) include PAZ-56.

Office of Planning Regulator/OPR proposed draft direction Oct 2024

States that proposed amendment PAZ-56 is "situated outside the CSO Settlement Boundary for Strandhill and inconsistent with NPO 3c and RPO 3.3. This site is in a peripheral location and does not have regard for the sequential approach to zoning under section 6.2.3 of the Development Plans Guidelines and do not accord with the mandatory objectives for sustainable settlement and transport strategies, as described above". OPR proposed draft direction also states that PAZ-56 " is inconsistent with NPO 72 and does not have regard to the policy and objective under section 6.2.1 of the Development Plans Guidelines that zoning is informed by a settlement capacity audit."

Draft Variation No. 1 of Sligo CDP 2024-2030 - Submissions

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