Teething problems for the Tipperary County Development Plan

Four Tipperary councillors are calling for a change to the County Development Plan. In a motion brought forward at this week’s full sitting of Tipperary County Council, Cllrs Noel Coonan, Joe Hannigan, Eddie Moran and Michael Smith said:

“We are calling on Tipperary County Council to review its policy for small rural enterprises in the countryside contained in the County Development Plan 2022.

“This policy is having an adverse impact on the future of families engaged in rural enterprise.”

The issue seemed to revolve around a refusal of planning permission for the expansion of a crèche in the Thurles-Templemore Municipal District.

According to the councillors, the application was refused based on a policy in the County Development Plan.

The exact circumstances were not disclosed at the meeting.

The County Development Plan 2022-2028 was approved by councillors in July 2022.

Cllr Smith said he wouldn’t have supported the plan if he had understood what would happen, and called for the plan to be reviewed.

“It’s not what I signed up for, and I’m pretty sure it’s not what you signed up for either,” said Cllr Smith.

Cllr Noel Coonan said there have been ‘unintended consequences’ of what was approved, and elected representatives should be allowed to review the policy.

Cllr Hannigan said there were perhaps elements they did not give enough consideration to when approving the County Development Plan.

This he said, has led to some things “slipping through the cracks.”

Several other councillors, including Shane Lee, Mairin McGrath and John Carroll supported the motion.

Cllr Lee said he spoke to a crèche in Roscrea that had a 15-month waiting list and said additional childcare places were essential.

Cllr Mairin McGrath said that it would be one thing if the crèche were new, but this was an extension of the existing service.

In the wider debate around childcare, she said, the expansion of services should be supported.

Cllr John Carroll said they needed to find a way in the plan to “move forward.”

RESPONSE

Senior Executive Planner Anne Marie Devaney said that if councillors wanted to review the plan, she was “happy to facilitate the discussion.”

However, she said the plan was signed less than a year ago, and some issues are to be expected.

Overall, she said the policy is working. Ms Devaney said she would not discuss individual planning applications but that all projects must meet “technical standards.”

VARIATION

Cllr Smith asked if there was a mechanism to change the County Development Plan.

Ms Devaney said there is, but it would require a ‘variation,’ which is a matter for the executive.

She added that there was also a two-year review under Section 15 of the legislation.

Tipperary County Council Chief Executive Joe MacGrath suggested that the issue be workshopped.

He said that the particular policy was teased out when the plan was approved, and only a couple of problems have arisen.

However, he would like to see a workshop where individual planning refusals could be examined to see if they had fallen foul of the policy in question.

“We are talking about a very very small number of cases. Let’s have the workshop and see what comes of that,” said Mr MacGrath.

The councillors agreed to this measure and can bring the motion again if they still feel the policy is having a material impact.