Vol. 529 No. 1
766 Ms McManus asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the communications there have been between his Department and Wicklow County Council regarding the divergence between the council's proposed development plans for Kilcoole and Newtownmountkennedy, County Wicklow, and the strategic planning guidelines; his views on this divergence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30590/00]
863 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he has received correspondence from Wicklow County Council regarding the draft development plans for Kilcoole, and Newtownmountkennedy, County Wicklow; if he has satisfied himself that these plans comply with the strategic planning guidelines for the greater Dublin area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2487/01]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 766 and 863 together.
Statutory recognition for the strategic planning guidelines for the greater Dublin area is provided for in the Planning and Development Act, 2000. The relevant provisions, which came into force on 1 January 2001, require planning authorities in the area to have regard to the guidelines when making and adopting a development plan. Pending the commencement of the statutory provision, I formally requested, in April 1999, that each local authority in the greater Dublin area should ensure that its development plan is in line with the strategy set out in the strategic planning guidelines. A further letter of 14 August 2000 also asked planning authorities to advise the Department as to progress to date in this regard.
The Minister for the Environment and Local Government is a statutory consultee for all development plans. In accordance with normal practice, the Department, on my behalf, has examined the draft variations to the Wicklow county development plan which include town development plans in respect of Kilcoole and Newtownmountkennedy. In the light of that examination my Department wrote to Wicklow County Council on 23 January 2001 seeking comments on the compatibility of the proposals for Kilcoole and Newtownmountkennedy with the strategic planning guidelines and the Wicklow county development plan. Pending receipt of the council's reply, it would be inappropriate to make any further comment.
