Variation No. 1 of the Birr Town and Environs Development Plan 2010-2016 to include: A. Core Strategy B. Riverstown Village Plan AND Variation No. 3 of the Offaly County Development Plan 2009-2015 to remove Riverstown Village Plan March 2013 Variation No. 1 of the BTEDP 2010-2016 2013 PREAMBLE This Variation No. 1 to the Birr Town and Environs Development Plan 2010-2016 comprises of two sections. The first (Part A) is the inclusion of the Core Strategy into the plan whilst the second element (Part B) is the inclusion of Riverstown Village Plan in the Birr Town and Environs Development Plan 2010-2016. This Variation, together with Variation No. 3 to remove Riverstown from the County Development Plan, was adopted by Offaly County Council at their monthly meeting on the 18th February 2013 and by Birr Town Council at a special meeting on the 4th March 2013. Form The Variation No. 1 will take the form, on adoption, of a standalone document but remains a central component of the Birr Town and Environs Development Plan which forms the basis or the ‘core’ of future development decisions up until 2016.This document is to be read in conjunction with the existing Birr Town and Environs Development Plan 2010-2016. Variation No. 1 supplements and supersedes, where relevant, the content of certain sections of Birr Town and Environs Development Plan – in particular Chapter 3 “Development Strategy” of the current plan. The main areas where Variation No. 1 supersedes the current plan are those where reference is made to population targets, the Midland Regional Planning Guidelines and in particular, Variation No. 1 supersedes the land use zoning map included in the plan. The plan will also affect Chapter 6 relating to Local Area Strategies and Chapter 7 relating to Crinkle Village. Page | 1 Variation No. 1 of the BTEDP 2010-2016 2013 Page | 2 Variation No. 1 of the BTEDP 2010-2016 2013 INTRODUCTION In accordance with the requirements of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, Offaly County Council and Birr Town Council have prepared a Core Strategy to be incorporated into the Birr Town and Environs Development Plan 2010-2016, by way of a variation under Section 13 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. This Core Strategy is outlined in Part A and is consistent with the Core Strategy of the Offaly County Development Plan 2009-2015. Part B incorporates the Riverstown Village Plan into the Birr Town and Environs Development Plan 2010- 2016. Variation No. 3 of the Offaly County Development Plan 2009-2015 removes the Riverstown Village Plan from volume 2 of that plan. Page | 3 Variation No. 1 of the BTEDP 2010-2016 2013 Page | 4 Variation No. 1 of the BTEDP 2010-2016 2013 Part A: Core Strategy of the Birr Town and Environs Development Plan 2010-2016 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction The inclusion of the Core Strategy in the Birr Town and Environs Development Plan is a requirement introduced by the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2010. The Core Strategy for County Offaly has already been incorporated into the Offaly County Development Plan 2009-2015 and this Core Strategy will be consistent with that plan. The current Birr Town and Environs Development Plan 2010-2016 was adopted in January 2010 and includes a written statement and zoning map. This Core Strategy supplements and supersedes, where relevant, the content of certain sections of the Birr Town and Environs Development Plan – in particular Chapters 1 and 3 of the current plan (“Introduction and Vision” and “Development Strategy”). The Core Strategy, specifically the inclusion of phased undeveloped residential land, will impact on the possible development of the Local Area Strategies outlined in Chapter 6 and the Strategy for Crinkle Village in Chapter 7 within the lifetime of this plan. This Core Strategy includes all of the key requirements of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2010. The purpose of a Core Strategy “is to articulate a medium to longer term quantitatively based strategy for the spatial development of the area of the planning authority, and in doing so, to demonstrate that the development plan and its objectives are consistent with national and regional development objectives set out in the National Spatial Strategy and Regional Planning Guidelines (RPGs)’1. Birr Town Council is the planning authority for the area within the town boundary while Offaly County Council is the planning authority for the environs area. The main areas where this Core Strategy supersedes the current plan are as follows: • Where reference is made to population targets – these are now superseded by the targets included in the Core Strategy. • The Midland Regional Planning Guidelines 2004 is now replaced with the Midland Regional Planning Guidelines 2010-2022. • The Zoning Map replaces the land use zoning map of Birr Town and Environs Development Plan 2010-2016. 1 Source: DoEHLG Circular and Guidance Notes on Core Strategies, November 2010. Page | 5 Variation No. 1 of the BTEDP 2010-2016 2013 This Core Strategy will demonstrate a level of consistency between the objectives of the development plan and the higher order spatial plans of the National Spatial Strategy (NSS) and the relevant Regional Planning Guidelines (RPGs). The Core Strategy provides the key linkage between national and regional level plans and subsidiary plans such as town development plans. 1.2 Content of the Core Strategy The required content of this Core Strategy is set out in Section 10 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. This Core Strategy consists of: • A Written Statement outlining the broad aims of the strategy including the population targets and housing demand allocation for the remainder of the plan period. • A Core Strategy Table which demonstrates the allocation of population distribution and required amount of residential zoned lands in Birr Town and Environs. • A Land Use Zoning Plan which includes phasing of land that identifies what housing development land may be developed in this plan period and what residentially zoned land is in reserve for possible development as part of future development plans. • The Core Strategy Map which is an extract from the Core Strategy contained within the Offaly County Development Plan and shows location of Birr in relation to other towns within the County Offaly settlement hierarchy. 2 Policy Context The Core Strategy is positioned within a policy hierarchy that ranges from the higher level, strategic approach of the National Spatial Strategy, which seeks to provide an overall vision for development at a state level, to local area and town development plans which provide specific development objectives for private and public land within their boundaries. 2.1 National Spatial Strategy (NSS) The National Spatial Strategy (NSS) 2002-2020 provides a planning framework for delivering more balanced social, economic and physical development between the regions of Ireland. A key concept of the NSS is the development and promotion of ‘Gateways’ and ‘Hubs’. The NSS identifies a Midland Linked Gateway comprising Athlone, Tullamore and Mullingar. Birr is identified as a town with ‘Urban Strengthening Opportunity’ within the Midlands Region and states that “Birr, in particular, with its built heritage and links to the Mid West region, has the potential to become a significant tourism centre and one which further develops small enterprises in a high quality environment.” Page | 6 Variation No. 1 of the BTEDP 2010-2016 2013 2.2 Midland Regional Planning Guidelines (MRPGs) The Midland Regional Planning Guidelines (MRPGs) 2010-2022 were adopted on the 20th July 2010 and set out the long term strategic planning framework to direct the future growth of the Midland Region. The MRPGs designate Birr as a Key Service Town in the Western Development Region. The MRPGs state that Key Service Towns act as important drivers for local economies where well established economic, administrative and social functions are provided. The MRPGs emphasise the potential for Tourism development in Birr Town. The MRPGs state that the Western Development Area needs to grow by 1,361 in the period to 2022 with the bulk of this growth channeled to Birr town. Map 1. Extract from the MRPGs showing the Midland Regional Settlement Strategy. Birr Source: Midland Regional Planning Guidelines 2010-2022 Page | 7 Variation No. 1 of the BTEDP 2010-2016 2013 2.3 Offaly County Development Plan 2009-2015 The Core Strategy of the Offaly County Development Plan 2009-2015 was adopted by Offaly County Council as Variation No. 1 to that plan on the 20th February 2012. The Core Strategy implements the MRPGs and identifies Birr in the second tier of the settlement hierarchy as a Key Service Town, Crinkle and Riverstown are identified as Villages and are included in Tier 5 of the hierarchy. The Offaly County Development Plan Core Strategy includes a Core Strategy table which was derived from the MRPG population targets as well as development completed since 2006, a density of development based on the settlement’s place on the hierarchy, a dereliction rate of 2% per annum and a projected average household size of 2.56 people. The Core Strategy table shows that Birr Town has a total allocation of residentially zoned lands available to 2015 of 40 hectares, the allocation for Crinkle and Riverstown is included with the other Tier 5 Villages in the table. 2.4 Retail Strategy The Retail Strategy for County Offaly (2008-2015) identifies the future retail floor space requirements to 2015. The strategy provides a Retail Hierarchy identifying the role of main retail centres within the County. The hierarchy, in line with the functional role assigned in the MRPGs, identifies Tullamore town as the sole ‘primary tier’ retail centre in the County.