County Development Plan Table Of Contents Section 1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................................1 1.1 Plan Aims ........................................................................................................................................1 1.2 Need for a Plan...............................................................................................................................2 1.3 Plan Approach................................................................................................................................2 1.4 Proper Planning and Sustainable Development.....................................................................3 1.4.1 Realising the potential of existing towns and villages .......................................................3 1.4.2 Realising the potential of rural areas..................................................................................4 1.4.3 Achieving good quality development..................................................................................5 1.5 Sustainability and the Development Plan. ..............................................................................6 1.6 Plan Review ....................................................................................................................................6 1.6.1 County Profile.....................................................................................................................6 1.6.2 Review Context ...................................................................................................................6 1.7 Key Strategic Issues. .....................................................................................................................7 Section 2. Spatial Planning And Land Use .................................................................................................9 2.1 Settlement Strategy .......................................................................................................................9 2.1.1 Definition and Rationale.....................................................................................................9 2.1.2 Context of the Strategy .....................................................................................................10 2.1.3 Analysis.............................................................................................................................10 2.2 Recommended Settlement Strategy.........................................................................................12 2.2.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................12 2.3 Settlement Strategy and Sustainable development .............................................................12 2.3.1 The role of Galway City....................................................................................................12 2.3.2 The role of towns and villages. .........................................................................................13 2.3.3 Self-sufficient towns..........................................................................................................13 2.3.4 Dormitory Settlements .....................................................................................................13 2.3.5 Importance of a network of successful villages and small towns. ....................................13 2.3.6 Coping with a poorly developed urban structure.............................................................14 2.3.7 Planning for public transport provision...........................................................................14 2.3.8 Landscape and environment: resources to be protected....................................................14 2.3.9 Household Projections.......................................................................................................14 2.4 Future Development Options ...................................................................................................15 2.4.1 Implications of non-intervention option...........................................................................15 2.5 Hierarchy of Settlements ...........................................................................................................16 2.6 Settlement Strategy and GTPS compared. .............................................................................17 2.6.1 Settlement Strategy for West Galway ..............................................................................19 2.6.2 Settlement Strategy for East Galway ...............................................................................20 2.7 Town And Village Settlements .................................................................................................23 2.8 Other Residential Development Nodes..................................................................................23 County Development Plan 2.9 Commercial Rural Enterprise Centres.....................................................................................23 2.10 Policies: Spatial Planning And Land Use...............................................................................23 2.11 Objectives: Spatial Planning And Land Use .........................................................................26 2.12 Strategy: Background Information ..........................................................................................26 2.13 Retail Planning Guidelines requirement for Development Plans....................................28 2.14 Policies: Retail Strategy..............................................................................................................28 Section 3. Economic Infrastructure.............................................................................................................29 3.1 Roads and Transportation..........................................................................................................29 3.2 Roads ...........................................................................................................................................30 3.2.1 Strategic routes: National Primary and National Secondary..........................................30 3.2.2 Non-National Routes........................................................................................................30 3.2.3 Regional Roads..................................................................................................................30 3.2.4 Local Roads .......................................................................................................................31 3.2.5 Traffic Management..........................................................................................................31 3.2.6 Parking facilities and loading/unloading facilities ...........................................................31 3.3 Policies: Roads and Transportation..........................................................................................31 3.4 Objectives: Roads and Transportation ....................................................................................32 3.5 Extractive Development .............................................................................................................34 3.6 Policies: Extractive Development.............................................................................................34 3.7 Water and Sewerage....................................................................................................................34 3.7.1 The Rural Water Programme ...........................................................................................34 3.7.2 Water Supplies..................................................................................................................35 3.7.3 Group Water Schemes.......................................................................................................35 3.7.4 Wastewater Treatment ......................................................................................................36 3.8 Water Services Investment Programme 2002 – 2004 .............................................................36 3.9 Policies: Rural Water Programme.............................................................................................36 3.10 Objectives: Rural Water Programme .......................................................................................36 3.11 Waste Management .....................................................................................................................37 3.11.1 Prevention and Reduction of Waste .................................................................................37 3.11.2 Re-use and Recycling of Waste.........................................................................................37 3.11.3 Disposal of Waste..............................................................................................................37 3.11.4 Connacht Waste Management Plan .................................................................................38 3.11.5 Waste Minimisation..........................................................................................................38 3.12 Policies: Waste Management.....................................................................................................38 3.13 Objectives: Waste Management................................................................................................39