Michael Ring
Ceist:384 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if Mayo County Council applied for a time extension to the Mayo county development plan; when it was applied for; and when it was approved. [7666/02]
Written Answers. - County Development Plans.
The current Mayo county development plan was adopted in 1992. In late 1997, Mayo County Council applied to my Department for an extension of the period to complete the review of the 1992 county plan to 30 June 1999. This request was not granted as the council did not provide my Department with a realistic timetable for the expected completion of the review. It was agreed that the council would submit a further request for an extension to the review period once the draft plan was prepared and ready to be put on display.
New provisions governing the making of development plans, set out in Part II of the Planning and Development Act, 2000, came into operation on 1 January 2001. The new Act sets out strict deadlines for the making of development plans and does not provide for the grant of exten sions of time. Section 266 of the 2000 Act provides that development plans made under the earlier legislation shall continue in force. Where, on commencement of the 2000 Act provisions, a plan is in force for longer than four years, the planning authority must within one year of commencement initiate the procedure for making a new plan. In this case, Mayo County Council gave notice in December 2001 of its intention to review its existing development plan and to prepare a new plan for its area under section 11 of the 2000 Act. This review must be completed and a new development plan adopted by December 2003.