Temporary Suspension of Enforcement Measures for Paid Parking Bye-Laws in County Laois
Laois County Council is temporarily suspending the enforcement of parking bye-laws in the period Friday 20th March, 2020 to Friday 17th April, 2020 inclusive. In effect this provides that, in the period specified, there will be no monetary charges applicable to car parking in car parking areas operated by Laois County Council in Portlaoise, Portarlington and Mountmellick.
This decision is taken to support social distancing, reduce cash/coin transactions, recognises reduced demand for medium/long term car parking and is geared to assist in the local, collective response to the Covid 19 pandemic.
This temporary suspension relates to paid parking only and does not relate to other parking offences such as unauthorised parking, on footpaths, in loading bays or in disabled parking bays, parking on double yellow lines etc. Enforcement of such offences will continue, as required, further to the provisions of Road Traffic Regulations.
Laois Heritage Forum is writing a new Heritage Plan for County Laois and we need your help! We want the new plan to include the views of children and young people: what kids would like to see protected, what information they think should be gathered, and what kind of events they would to attend.
What do we mean by Heritage?
Heritage is a word that can mean lots of different things to different people. It can mean things from the past or present that we value, and want to protect for future generations. In Ireland we have the Heritage Council working to protect all parts of our heritage, and they include wildlife, landscapes, archaeology, architecture, museums, artefacts, our inland waterways, coasts and seascapes. Many people also include traditional music and dance, the Irish language, crafts, traditional skills like thatching, history, folktales and genealogy.
Daniel Doran, Clodagh Fitzpatrick, Roisin Fitzpatrick, Aaron Bowden-Adair, Eoin Bowden-Adair and Ryan Dunne from Scoil Bhríde, Portlaoise at Emo Court for the launch of the Laois Passport for Heritage Sites. Picture: Alf Harvey.
So what is a Heritage Plan?
A County Heritage Plan celebrates the best of a county’s heritage and lays out what the community will do to protect, conserve and raise awareness of that heritage in the next five years. The plan contains Objectives, which say in broad terms what we hope to do, and under each objective we have Actions, these are the detailed projects that we will take on each year. We’d like your help in suggesting objectives and actions that are relevant for young people for the new plan.
Where do you come in?
We’d love to hear your views on what the next Heritage Plan for the county should include. If you’d like to take part, fill in the Consultation form, complete the online questionnaire or just write us a note on what you think we should focus on, to make the Heritage Plan the best it can be for young people.
Can you help us illustrate the new plan?
We’d love to include artwork from young people across Laois in the new plan. This can be a drawing, a painting, a photo, a poem or any artwork you like, that shows something you value about any part of the Heritage of County Laois. We will include the best artworks in the new published plan, and we will have two prizes of Family Heritage Cards for the best entries. Send your entries to the address below!
Where to send your details
Send your submissions to heritage@laoiscoco.ie or post to the Heritage Office, Laois County Council, Portlaoise, Co Laois. The closing date for submissions is 31st May 2020.
For some more information on the Heritage Plan and what we need, click here.
Our new Press Reader service gives you free access to hundreds of newspapers so you can keep up to date with events. We also have free online language, hobby and business courses.
Library staff continue to work behind closed doors so if you are having difficulty accessing any of these services or need to update your pin number please feel free to contact us :
Laois County Library Service has closed all public libraries in Laois as a precautionary measure following public health advice relating to the Covid-19 outbreak and cancelled all upcoming library events. Libraries will be closed from Friday 13th of March to Sunday 29th, inclusive.
Laois County Library Service apologise for any inconvenience caused and hope to resume normal service as soon as possible.
Library staff are working behind closed doors if you need information on your PIN number for the online services . Please contact your local library; https://laois.ie/departments/libraries/branch-libraries/ or email library@laoiscoco.ie for more information.
In order to protect the members of the public/staff, Laois County Council Planning Department wish to advise that the public counter at Áras An Chontae is closed.
With regard to the COVID-19 Infection the Planning Department are implementing the following procedures:
Pre-Planning Meetings
All pre planning meetings have been suspended for the foreseeable future.
Making a Planning Application
Laois County Council request that all planning applications being lodged be sent through An Post or placed in the post box at the offices of Laois County Council. An e-mail will be issued to confirm receipt of same.
Viewing a Planning Application
To view a Planning Application, please go to the Laois County Council website where you can access the planning applications which have been submitted www.laois.ie
Submissions/Observations
If you wish to place a submission or observation to a Planning Application please be advised that your letter outlining your submission /observations should be issued to the following e-mail address planning@laoiscoco.ie. Please ensure you submit a phone number to enable this Department to contact you for payment over the phone by Credit/Debit Card.
Alternatively please lodge a submission through An Post with the fee of €20.00 attached.
Retrieval of Planning Files
Request for retrieval of all planning files should be emailed to the Planning Department planning@laoiscoco.ie
All requests will be kept on file and you will be contacted at a later date.
Unauthorised Development
In relation to Unauthorised Development, please complete the Unauthorised Development complaint form which is available on www.laois.ie and email the completed form to enforcements@laoiscoco.ie or send by post to Laois County Council Offices.
Building Control
For information in relation to Building Control, please visit www.localgov.ie
Development Contributions
If you have any queries or wish to make a payment in regard to Development Contributions please contact Laois County Council on 057-8664000
Site Suitability Assessments
All Site Suitability Assessments have been suspended until further notice.
In response to the most recent developments in trying to delay the widespread onset of Covid19 in our community and having regard to the impact of school closures and crèche closures in particular, Laois County Council wishes to make the following announcement:
The Council’s priority is to ensure the health of the general public whilst at the same time, given the emerging circumstances, to ensure the continuation of essential public services
The following core services will be maintained and given priority
Water Supply & Waste Water Treatment
Housing & Homeless Services
Fire & Emergency Services
Operation of Waste and Recycling Facilities
Road Maintenance and Traffic Safety
The following services are to be temporarily discontinued with immediate effect until further notice:
All public libraries
Motor Taxation Office, County Hall, Portlaoise
Cash Office, County Hall, Portlaoise
Housing Services Counter, County Hall, Portlaoise
Planning Services Counter, County Hall, Portlaoise
All community events supported and/or organised through the Council
Members of the public are encouraged to use online services for Motor Taxation, Planning & other business with the Council. Those seeking housing services or supports should do so through email or phone call appointments.
In relation to Planning, the public are asked to:
use our website to view applications
submit planning applications by post or hand deliver to our post box at County Hall
submit observations on planning applications by email or post and
phone or email in relation to other general queries
Members of the public will be highly aware that the priority at this time and for the foreseeable future is to act in the interest of public health. From time
to time, therefore, over the next few weeks there will be a requirement on Laois County Council to re-assign staff and resources from less critical to more critical services including collaborating with and supporting the Health Service Executive as required.
The Housing Department can be contacted at (057) 8664000. The email addresses are as follows:
Laois County Library Service in association with Local Creative Youth
Partnership / LOETB and supported by Creative Ireland Laois is
establishing a FIGHTING WORDs programme in Laois. The aim is to help
children, young people, and adults to discover and harness the power
of their imaginations and creative writing skills. For more information click here,
Annie Holland’s Children of the Free State Photography Exhibit Opening Night Artist’s Reception
March 13 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
The exhibit opens with a reception on Friday, March 13, from 6:00 – 8:00 pm.
“Children of the Free State” is a series of large scale photographic portraits of older people from rural Ireland born before or just after 1922 when the Irish Free State was established. It’s an artistic overview of this disappearing way of life in Ireland in 2020. Artist Annie Holland is not merely looking back nostalgically or documenting a passing way of life, but rather using this body of work to explore the role of these older people and their continued relevance in rural Ireland.
Co-Sponsored by the Patrick J. Dowling Library Irish Artist Annie Holland returns to UICC with a new photographic exhibition “Children of the Free State”. This show is a series of large scale portraits of older people from rural Ireland born before or just after 1922 when the Irish Free State was established. It’s an artistic overview of this disappearing way of life in Ireland in 2020. Annie is not merely looking back nostalgically or documenting a passing way of life, but rather using this body of work to explore the role of these older people and their continued relevance in rural Ireland.
River levels being monitored and are currently holding in all areas. Heavy rainfall has caused some road flooding issues in certain areas, all dealt with by LCC staff and Fire Services. At time of posting there are no road closures in place. Driver caution is advised at all times.
A number of fallen tree incidents have been dealt with by LCC staff and Fire Services.
Please note that due to technical difficulties, the LCC out of hours contact number is not currently operational. In the event of an emergency, please dial 999.
