Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 30 Mar 1999

Vol. 502 No. 6

Written Answers. - Urban Renewal Schemes.

Mary Coughlan

Ceist:

241 Ms Coughlan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the annoyance of the traders and residents of Ballyshannon who have not received urban renewal status; if their application will be reviewed; and the basis on which the application was unsuccessful. [8850/99]

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Molloy)

Designations under the new urban renewal scheme were based on integrated area plans, (IAPs), submitted by local authorities and were in line with recommendations made by an expert advisory panel which I established to assess all of the plans submitted.

The IAPs were drawn up on the basis of detailed guidelines prepared by the expert panel and issued to local authorities. These guidelines made it clear that, in selecting areas for the preparation of IAPs local authorities were to give priority to areas in cities and towns with strong urban characteristics and high concentrations of physical decay and socio-economic disadvantage. Ballyshannon and a number of other small towns were not considered by the panel to meet these criteria.

The recommendations made by the panel, which exercised an independent role, were accepted in full and that is the basis on which designation is now being implemented. There is no proposal to designate further areas under the new urban renewal scheme. The expert panel found also, however, that many of the smaller towns not recommended for designation, contained a significant amount of urban townscape which had or was in danger of deteriorating badly. A proposed new townscape restoration scheme is aimed at restoration and conservation of townscapes in smaller towns. Local authorities will be asked to consider the submission of urban townscape plans by 1 August next, in accordance with guidelines being prepared to assist them in preparing plans for the new scheme to be introduced in the autumn. It will be a matter for Donegal County Council to consider the submission of a plan for Ballyshannon.