Stage 2 Draft Laois County Development Plan 2021 – 2027 has been completed

Stage 3 Draft Laois County Development Plan 2021 – 2027 – Proposed Material Amendments

This 4 week public consultation on the proposed material amendments only represents the start of stage 3 of the Laois County Development Plan (2021 – 2027).

Written observations or submissions regarding the proposed amendments only must be received between 23^rd September 2021 and by 5:00pm on 21^st October 2021, either;

 

• Online here by registering on https://consult.laois.ie/ where you can then make a submission on the draft chapters, appendix, environmental reports and maps. or
• Via email to cdp@laoiscoco.ie; or
• In writing marked “Draft Laois County Development Plan 2021 – 2027 – MATERIAL ALTERATIONS” to the A/Senior Planner, Planning Department, Laois County Council, Aras an Chontae, JFL Avenue, Portlaoise, Co Laois.

For further details please click:  https://laois.ie/departments/planning/review-of-laois-county-development-plan-2017-2023-2/

Laois County Council invites you to take part in a consultation to help shape the development of a Masterplan for Lands at Stradbally Road, Portlaoise.

To capture a diverse set of opinions, experience and ideas that are representative of the local community, Laois County Council are seeking submissions on the Stradbally Road Lands Masterplan.

The Masterplan has been developed by Laois County Council working in conjunction with the appointed multi-disciplinary Design Team and has been informed by a previous consultation with stakeholders and the local community. It seeks to establish an ambitious vision for these Council owned lands that will help to deliver a highly sustainable and integrated quarter adjoining the Town Centre of Portlaoise in accordance with the site’s land use zonings, namely: “New Proposed Residential”; “Open Space & Amenity”; and “Community, Educational & Institutional”.

 The Masterplan is available online at: https://consult.laois.ie/

Laois County Council signed Contracts for the WIFI4EU project on Tuesday 28^th September 2021 with NIS- Network and Infrastructure Support.

 

The rollout of the WIFI4EU project will commence now at the following locations  – Portlaoise Town Centre , Portarlington Town Centre , Abbeyleix Main Street, Mountmellick Main Street and Clonaslee Main Street.

 

Survey works and consultation with communities and property owners (where necessary) will occur over the next few weeks and all locations are expected to be complete with Free Public Wifi by end of February 2022.

 

Laois County Council have partnered with the EU and DRCD in providing and rolling out the WIFI4EU programme.

 

The WiFi4EU initiative promotes free access to Wi-Fi connectivity for citizens in public spaces including parks, squares, public buildings, libraries, health centres and museums in municipalities throughout Europe. This project is also intended to increase the attractiveness of our public realm to visitors and residents of each of the towns and their localities  and will work in tandem with the continuation of external seating areas for outdoor dining in many locations.

 

We look forward to working with our partners on this project and Network and Infrastructure Support, a Midlands based company.

We apologise in advance for any disruption that might occur during the course of the roll out. If you have any queries, contact can be made with the Broadband Officer  – Ms Antoinette Brennan at Anbrennan@laoiscoco.ie

A decision by Laois County Council to refuse the application for an event licence for the Electric Picnic 2021, issued on the 4^th August 2021 pursuant to section 231 (3)(a) and (b) of the Planning and Development Act, as amended. The decision was based on the following reasons:

 

1. Having regard to the up to date advise from the Health Services Executive in their statutory submission
2. Having regard to government public health measures currently in place and made pursuant to the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 and the Health and Criminal Justice (Covid -19) (Amendment) Act 2021.

 

There is no provision in law which enables Laois County Council to revisit that refusal or reconsider that application.

 

Notwithstanding the comments emanating from yesterday’s press briefing from NPHET nothing has changed as regards advice from the HSE, nor has there been any change to the Government Public Health Measures in place in respect of hosting of outdoor events, from the position that pertained on the 4^th August  2021. 

 

The Planning Authority, Laois County Council, further notes that even if a new application for an event licence is made, the statutory timelines do not allow for the  processing of a new application to facilitate the event on the dates as intended in the application previously submitted.

 

 Ends

Submissions received in relation to An Bord Pleanala ABP-310430-21 regarding proposed works to Inch Bridge across the Stradbally river

https://laois.ie/wp-content/uploads/An-Bord-Pleanala-ABP-310430-21-Inch-Bridge-Stradbally.pdf

 

EP Republic has applied for a LICENCE APPLICATION under the terms of Part XVI of the Planning and Development Act 2000 to 2015 (as amended) for a Proposed Multi Stage Concert event to be held at Stradbally Hall Estate, Stradbally, Co. Laois

 

The proposed Multi Stage Concert event to be held on 24^th September,  25^th September and 26^th September 2021 at Stradbally Hall Estate, Stradbally, Co. Laois, with low key entertainment on 23^rd September 2021.  General camping facilities, family campervan, general campervan and early entry camping facilities from 23^rd September to 27^th September 2021.

 

If you wish to lodge a submission/observation to the licence application, please send your submission in writing, before close of business on 13th July, to the Planning Department Laois County Council, Aras an Chontae, Portlaoise, Co. Laois or by email to planning@laoiscoco.ie

• Leinster Express
• Irish Independent
• EP 2021 Site Layout
• EP 2021 Arena Layout
• EP 2021 Event Management Plan

 

Decision & Reports:

• Decision
• Planner’s Report
• HSE Report
• Garda Report
• EHS Report
• Roads Department Report
• Road Design Report
• Environment Department Report

 

 

SHORT TERM LETTING OF PROPERTIES

Are you letting your property in full or part of?

Are you letting a house for short term periods?

Have you submitted the necessary forms to the Planning Authority?

Do you know someone who this may relate to….

REGULATION OF SHORT TERM LETTING

See Details here: Regulation of Short Term Letting

 

 

Decision on the extension of the operational life of the Doel 1 & 2 Nuclear Power Plants, located near the Port of Antwerp, Belgium

Links to the department’s consultation page:

• https://www.gov.ie/en/consultation/f160a-transboundary-environmental-public-consultation-decision-on-the-extension-of-the-operational-life-of-the-doel-1-2-nuclear-power-plants-located-near-the-port-of-antwerp-belgium/

 

• https://www.gov.ie/ga/comhairliuchan/comhairliuchan-poibli-timpeallachta-trasteorann-cinneadh-faoi-shaolre-oibriochtuil-staisiuin-nuicleacha-doel-1-agus-2-ata-lonnaithe-i-ngar-do-chalafort-antuairp-an-bheilg-a-shineadh/

SHORT TERM LETTING

New Short Term Letting Regulations, Planning and Development (amendment) Regulations 2019.

As part of the measures to help address pressures in the private housing rental market, new planning legislative reforms to regulate the short term letting sector came into effect on 1 July 2019.

The reforms, which are now underpinned in legislation (as provided for in the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2019 and supplementary regulations made by the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government entitled the Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. 2) Regulations 2019) are primarily aimed at addressing the impact on the private rental market by the use of residential homes for short-term tourism type letting in areas of high housing demand.

The new provisions will only apply in areas designated as ‘rent pressure zones’ under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004, as amended. The property must fall within one of the Council’s two Rent Pressure Zones for the above mentioned provisions to apply. The Council’s Rent Pressure Zones are the Portlaoise Electoral Area and the Graiguecullen / Portarlington Electoral Area which are highlighted in red on the following map: Rent pressure zone map

Short term letting in areas outside the designated rent pressure zones are not impacted in any way by the new arrangements.

The following is a brief summary of the main requirements arising from the combined provisions in the Act and the Regulations which, for the avoidance of doubt, apply only to rent pressure zones:

• Short-term letting is defined as the letting of a house or apartment, or part of a house or apartment, for any period not exceeding 14 days.
• Residents, including home sharers, will be allowed to let their entire principal private residence (house or apartment) on a short-term basis for a cumulative period of up to 90 days per calendar year where they are temporarily absent from their home.
• Where the 90 day threshold is exceeded, change of use planning permission will be required.
• Where the house or apartment is not a ‘principal private residence’ (i.e. where it is not ordinarily lived in by the owner or leased as a long-term residential accommodation), the 90 day exemption does not apply and change of use planning permission will be required for all short-term letting.
• Homesharing (the letting of a room or rooms in a person’s principal private residence) will continue to be permissible on an unrestricted basis and be exempt from the requirements to apply for planning permission.

If you home share your principal private residence in a rent pressure zone and wish to avail of the new planning exemptions, you will need to register this with your local authority and fulfil specified reporting obligations.

However, where a person owns a property in a rent pressure zone which is not their principal private residence and intends to let it for short-term letting purposes, s/he will be required to apply for a change of use planning permission unless the property already has a specific planning permission to be used for tourism or short-term letting purposes.

The associated “Frequently Asked Questions” document has been prepared to assist in providing a more comprehensive and detailed understanding of the new short term letting reforms and the new reporting obligations on home sharers.

 

https://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/30.07.19_short-term_lettings_faqs_0.pdf

Details of the new provisions on the Department website in relation to short term letting

https://www.housing.gov.ie/planning/private-rented-housing/new-regulation-short-term-letting

There are a number of forms that must be completed and returned to the Council with respect to the operation of short term lettings. These are as follows:

Form 15 – Annual Notification. This form should be returned no later than 4 weeks of the start of each year for existing uses or 2 weeks prior to the first instance of the proposed change of use for new uses.

Short Term Letting Form 15- Start of year notification

Form 16- This form is only required to be completed if the 90-day cap is reached during the year. It should be returned no later than 2 weeks after the event.

Short Term Letting Form No 16- 90 day Cap reached

Form 17- End of year notification. It shall be returned no later than 4 weeks after the end of each calendar year.

Short Term Letting Form No 17- End of year notification

What will the cost of notification be?

It is not proposed that there will be any charge associated with a person notifying the planning authority that they are availing of the short term letting planning exemption.

Queries

Any queries relating to Short Term Letting should be directed by email to: planning@laoiscoco.ie

Completed Notification Forms

Completed registration/notification forms can be returned by email to planning@laoiscoco.ie

or by post to: Planning Section, Laois County Council, Áras an Chontae, JFL Ave., Portlaoise,
Co. Laois  R32 EHP9

 

 

https://laois.ie/wp-content/uploads/20210215-Letter-to-LAs-re-Withdrawal.pdf

https://laois.ie/wp-content/uploads/DECLG-Wylfa-Newydd-16×2-83-IE-II-IT.pdf

Further details on the withdrawal of the application
and all other related documents can be found
on the Planning Inspectorate UK website:
https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/
projects/wales/wylfa-newydd-nuclear-power-station/