Statement in Response to the Waterford City Council Boundary
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Comhairle Chontae Chill Chainnigh Kilkenny County Council Statement of Response to the Waterford City Council Boundary Extension Proposal 2nd December 2005 SECTION PAGE 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 2 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY……………………………………………..……….………………………. 4 3 KILKENNY COUNTY COUNCIL REBUTTAL OF WATERFORD CITY COUNCIL PROPOSAL….……………………………………………………………… 9 4 DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED BOUNDARY EXTENSION .................................. 16 5 REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT IMPLICATIONS .................................................... 20 6 DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY WITHIN WATERFORD CITY.................................. 42 7 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS........................................................................... 49 8 RESPONSE TO SPECIFIC POINTS IN THE WATERFORD CITY PROPOSAL......... 72 APPENDICES RESOLUTION BY KILKENNY COUNTY COUNCIL Local Government Act 1991 Resolution Proposed by: Seconded by: It was resolved at a meeting of the Kilkenny County Council held on the 2nd of December, 2005 in the Council Chamber, County Hall, John Street, Kilkenny. ”That the County Council of the County of Kilkenny, having considered the proposal for a Borough Boundary Extension submitted by Waterford City Council, adopts and makes the Statement of Response herewith in relation to the proposal for a Borough Boundary Extension under the provisions of Section 29 of the Local Government Act, 1991 and, in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Act, 1991 and the requirements of the Local Government (Boundary Alterations) Regulations, 1996 made under the Act and hereby proposes that there should be no extension of the Boundary of the County Borough of Waterford. The Corporate Seal of the Council be affixed to this Statement of Response“. Present when the Seal of the County Council of the County of Kilkenny was affixed hereto: __________________________ Chairman/Nominated Member __________________________ County Manager __________________________ County Secretary 1 Section 1: Introduction 1.1 On, 25 July 2005 Kilkenny County Council received notice of a resolution passed by Waterford City Council adopting a proposal in accordance with the provisions of Part V of the Local Government Act 1991 to alter the boundary of Waterford City. 1.2 In accordance with Section 29(3) of the Local Government Act 1991, Kilkenny County Council is required to consider this proposal and make a statement of its response to the proposal within a period of six months from the date of receipt i.e. before 25 January 2006. 1.3 This document is the Statement of Response of Kilkenny County Council to Waterford City Council's proposal. It has been prepared having regard to the Local Government (Boundary Alteration) Regulations 1996 which prescribes the format for a statement of response as follows: i. Setting out the observations of the respondent in relation to the proposal; ii. Setting out the appropriate data relating to the following matters where different from that contained in the proposal: ° population: ° area in hectares ° rateable valuation ° number of commercial premises ° an estimate of the number of households ° estimated annual income generated from rates, charges and other sources; iii. Setting out, in relation to each programme group, the estimated income and expenditure implications for the respondent; iv. Where appropriate, suggesting any revisions to the proposal, including revision of the proposed boundary or in relation to financial, administrative or organisational matters; and v. Where revision is suggested by the respondent to the proposed boundary, including a map showing the revised boundary. 1.4 The making of a Statement of Response is a reserved function of Kilkenny County Council. A copy of the resolution of Kilkenny County Council, which adopts this Statement of Response in rejection of the proposal to extend the Waterford City boundary, is included. 2 1.5 This Statement of Response: i. Provides the response of Kilkenny County Council to the proposal made by Waterford City Council seeking an extension of the City's boundaries; and ii. Shows the findings of independent assessments commissioned by the Council of the financial and planning implications of the City Council‘s proposals. 1.6 Mazars, in association with DTZ Pieda Consulting, were commissioned by Kilkenny County Council to assist with the preparation of this Statement of Response. 1.7 This Statement of Response is set out as follows: Section 1: Introduction Section 2: Executive Summary Section 3: Kilkenny County Council‘s rebuttal of the key points made by Waterford City Council in seeking to support its proposal, the reasons why these points are not valid and why therefore the proposal should be rejected Section 4: Describes the boundary extension proposed by Waterford City Council Section 5: Reviews the regional development context and implications Section 6: Presents the development potential within Waterford City at present Section 7: Reviews the financial implications of the proposed boundary extension, and Section 8: Contains the response of Kilkenny County Council to specific points raised in the City‘s proposal. Appendices:- A Figure 4.1 - Map of boundary extension proposed by Waterford City Council B Figure 4.2 - History of Waterford City Boundary Extensions C Figure 5.1 œ Waterford City Land Zoning D Glossary 3 Section 2: Executive Summary of the Statement of Response by Kilkenny County Council Having considered the proposal made by Waterford City, and having assessed all other relevant aspects, Kilkenny County Council now formally rejects the Waterford City boundary extension proposal. The key objections held by Kilkenny County Council to the proposed boundary extension are that:- 1. The boundary extension proposed by Waterford City Council is not required to provide land for future development as the City already has substantial land available within its existing boundary. In particular:- ° Within Waterford City‘s current boundaries, 1,599 ha (3,950 acres) or 38% of the City‘s land area, is zoned for agricultural use. Much of this agricultural land was incorporated into the City in 1980, when it was granted a boundary extension into County Waterford, on the basis that the City then required additional space for development; ° The new Outer Ring Road will provide much improved access to this undeveloped land, thereby eliminating any suggested barriers to its development. Recent press statements from Waterford City Council say that this new road will open up these lands and facilitate the construction of circa 6,000 houses as well as commercial development; ° In addition to its agricultural land, the City already has sufficient land zoned for residential use to accommodate its projected population growth to at least 2021 and possibly to 2030; ° Furthermore, 50% of the land currently zoned for industrial use within the City remains available for development, and ° If the City‘s proposal for a boundary extension were to be granted, Waterford City would have a much greater land area and a far smaller population than other Gateway cities. For example, at present Cork City has a population almost three times that of Waterford City, yet it has a land area smaller than that of Waterford. If the boundary extension were granted, Waterford‘s population density would then be 7.6 persons per hectare (or 3.0 persons per acre) whereas other Gateway cities typically have densities four times greater than this. Waterford City clearly has ample space for planned development far into the future. 4 2. Key National and Regional Development Strategies currently in place promote the principle of co-operation between the relevant local authorities, not boundary changes, to achieve national, regional and local development objectives. In particular:- ° The National Spatial Strategy (NSS) provides for a development framework in the South East region that is based on the —Waterford/Wexford/Kilkenny growth triangle“ that requires these centres to work together in —a co-ordinated and integrated approach that builds on their complementary strengths“; ° The Waterford Planning Land Use and Transportation Study (PLUTS), adopted in 2004 by Waterford City Council and Kilkenny and Waterford County Councils, specifically states that the three authorities —will agree on how best to co-operate on implementation issues, to agree on appropriate joint monitoring and review structures“; ° The South East Regional Planning Guidelines (SERPG) endorsed the PLUTS and went one step further by proposing that an implementation group be set up —to deliver a consistent approach across administrative boundaries“; ° One of the central arguments put forward by Waterford City in proposing the boundary extension involves the concept of developing a —compact city“. In this regard, the European Commission‘s European Spatial Dimension Perspective (ESDP) recommends that in order to achieve a compact city “co-operation between the city and the surrounding countryside must be intensified“; ° Inter-authority co-operation in the South-East region has already been demonstrated by activities such as the development and adoption of a regional waste management plan and regional planning guidelines and specifically between Waterford City and Kilkenny in the planning and development of the City‘s main drainage scheme. Clearly the co-operative approach as sought consistently by Kilkenny County Council is the favoured approach at European, National and Regional levels.