Vol. 488 No. 4
230 Miss Fox asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he was officially notified of the decision by the members of Wicklow County Council to reject the growth centre strategy in considering the Greystones and Delgany plan; if so, the person who notified him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6225/98]
231 Miss Fox asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government when he will make a decision on Wicklow County Council's application for an extension of time for the completion of the review of the County Wicklow development plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6226/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 230 and 231 together.
A county development plan has to be based on an integrated strategy for the development of the territory of the county as a whole so that the plan, together with any town-village-district plans for areas within the county, fulfils the essential strategic land use function of the plan as intended by the Planning Acts. Such a strategic assessment would identify anticipated population growth and would take a planned approach to meeting the development needs of the county including the provision of necessary infrastructure. In the absence of such an overall strategy the planning of each town is bound to be considered in isolation, leading to lack of coherence and balance when looked at in the wider context.
The current Wicklow County Development Plan was adopted in 1989. On 8 October 1997 the council wrote to my Department seeking my sanction to an extension of time for completion of the review of the county development plan. The letter outlined the comprehensive review being undertaken to address issues such as settlement strategies, the influence of the Dublin metropolitan area and the necessity to prioritise the growth of towns. It was indicated in this correspondence that the preparation of a growth centre strategy enabled the council to adopt a logical priority for the preparation of town and village plans in the context of the strategic needs of the county. In relation to the Greystones-Delgany Plan, the letter indicated that the population was to be accommodated in accordance with the growth centre strategy. Later in the year, media reports indicated that the draft plan for Greystones-Delgany had been rejected by councillors, and subsequent discussions with the council were unable to establish that the council were proceeding with a coherent strategy as referred to in the preceding paragraph.
My Department wrote to Wicklow County Council on 27 February 1998, conveying my decision to defer further consideration of their application for an extension of time for the completion of the review of the Wicklow county development plan until the council review the matter in the light of the foregoing considerations.
