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The Border Regional Authority The Border Regional Authority Údarás Réigiúnach na Teorann Draft Regional Planning Guidelines (2010-2022) January 2010 DRAFT REGIONAL PLANNING GUIDELINES FOR THE BORDER REGION 2010 – 2022 Planning & Development Acts 2000-2006 Planning & Development Regulations 2001 - 2009 Planning & Development (Regional Planning Guidelines) Regulations 2009 Planning & Development (Strategic Environmental Assessment) Regulations 2004 Public Consultation Period 26th February, 2010 – 14th May, 2010. In accordance with Section 24(4) of the Planning & Development Acts 2000-2006, the Border Regional Authority hereby gives notice that it has prepared Draft Regional Planning Guidelines for the Border Region 2010 - 2022. The Draft has been prepared in accordance with the Planning & Development Acts 2000-2006, the Planning & Development (Regional Planning Guidelines) Regulations 2009 and the Planning & Development (Strategic Environmental Assessment) Regulations 2004. The Constituent Counties in the Border Region are Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Louth, Monaghan and Sligo. The objective of the Regional Planning Guidelines is to provide a long-term strategic planning framework for the future physical, economic and social development of the Region and shall in accordance with the Act, be incorporated into the County Development Plans of the respective Planning Authorities in the Region. The Draft Guidelines are supported by a Draft Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Environmental Report, on the likely significant effects on the environment of implementing the Guidelines, and a Draft Habitats Directive Assessment (HDA) in accordance with Article 6 of EU Directive 92/43/EEC. Individuals, Public Authorities, Community Organisations, Public and Private Agencies, and any other group are invited to make submissions/observations with respect to the Draft Regional Planning Guidelines, Draft SEA Environmental Report, and Draft Habitats Directive Assessment. Submissions/observations should be in writing or by email, and reach the Border Regional Authority no later than 4.30pm on Friday, 14th May, 2010. All such observations and/or submissions lodged with the Authority by the closing deadline, will be considered prior to adoption of the Guidelines. Copies of the aforementioned Draft Regional Planning Guidelines, and related documents may be inspected at the following locations, during normal opening hours: Offices of the Border Regional Authority. Planning Departments of the Constituent County Council’s Town Councils in the Region All Public Libraries in the Region All documents may be downloaded from our website or are available, by request, free of charge on CD. Hard copies, (subject to payment of a fee), may be obtained from the Border Regional Authority. An Irish version of the Draft Regional Planning Guidelines document, is also available on our website. Contact: Border Regional Authority, Corlurgan, Business Park, Ballinagh Road, Cavan, Co. Cavan. Phone: (049) 4362600 Email: [email protected] Website: www.border.ie i ii TABLE OF CONTENTS GLOSSARY OF TERMS .......................................................................................................................... IX PREAMBLE ............................................................................................................................................ XII EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................ XIII CHAPTER 1 CONTEXTUAL BACKGROUND ................................................................................................ 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 PURPOSE OF THE NEW REGIONAL PLANNING GUIDELINES ........................................................................ 1 1.3 SUMMARY PROFILE OF THE BORDER REGION ......................................................................................... 2 1.4 PLANNING CONTEXT ........................................................................................................................ 3 1.4.1 EUROPEAN SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVE ...................................................................................... 3 1.4.2 NATIONAL SPATIAL STRATEGY ................................................................................................................ 4 1.4.3 NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2007 – 2013 ......................................................................................... 5 1.5 INTER-REGIONAL ISSUES AND NORTHERN IRELAND ................................................................................. 6 1.5.1 NORTHERN IRELAND ............................................................................................................................. 8 1.5.2 SUB REGIONAL CONTEXT ....................................................................................................................... 9 1.5.3 EMERGENCE OF CORRIDORS IN THE REGION ............................................................................................. 9 1.6 THE BORDER REGION TODAY ........................................................................................................... 10 1.6.1 REGIONAL POPULATION CHANGE AND DISTRIBUTION ............................................................................... 10 1.6.2 SPATIAL POPULATION TRENDS .............................................................................................................. 13 1.6.3 TRAVEL TO WORK PATTERNS IN THE BORDER REGION .............................................................................. 14 1.6.4 DEVELOPMENT OF GATEWAYS POST 2004 ............................................................................................. 15 1.6.4.1 Dundalk ....................................................................................................................................... 15 1.7 ECONOMY AND EMPLOYMENT ......................................................................................................... 16 1.7.1 SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS: REGIONAL ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE ............................................................. 18 1.8 TRANSPORT ................................................................................................................................. 19 1.8.1 ROADS ............................................................................................................................................. 19 1.8.2 PUBLIC TRANSPORT ............................................................................................................................ 20 1.8.3 PORTS AND AIRPORTS ......................................................................................................................... 21 1.9 WATER AND WASTE WATER SERVICES ............................................................................................... 21 1.10 ENERGY ..................................................................................................................................... 22 1.11 TELECOMMUNICATIONS ................................................................................................................ 23 1.12 TOURISM ................................................................................................................................... 23 1.13 KEY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT ISSUES FOR REGIONAL PLANNING GUIDELINES .................................... 24 1.13.1 EMPLOYMENT & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ........................................................................................ 24 1.13.2 QUALITY OF LIFE .............................................................................................................................. 24 1.13.3 ENTERPRISE ..................................................................................................................................... 24 1.13.4 SKILLS, EDUCATION & INNOVATION .................................................................................................... 24 1.13.5 ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURES: ACCESS AND CONNECTIVITY .................................................................... 25 1.14 FUTURE DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS .................................................................................................. 25 1.15 KEY FUTURE INVESTMENT PRIORITIES FOR THE BORDER REGION. ........................................................... 26 1.16 CHALLENGES FOR THE REGION ........................................................................................................ 28 CHAPTER 2 VISION AND STRATEGIC GOALS FOR THE REGION .......................................................... 29 2.1 VISION ........................................................................................................................................ 29 2.2 KEY STRATEGIC GOALS ................................................................................................................... 29 CHAPTER 3 POPULATION AND SETTLEMENT STRATEGY .................................................................... 30 3.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 30 iii 3.2 FUNCTION OF SETTLEMENT STRATEGY ................................................................................................ 30 3.3 LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENTS ..........................................................................................................
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