Forward Planning - County Development Plan/Local Area Plans

Highlights:

• Area Plans adopted for Piltown, Fiddown. Mooncoin & Gowran.

• Proposed LAP published for Western Environs of Kilkenny City.

• Public Consultations held for Ballyhale, Knocktopher,Ballyragget, Urlingford and Inistioge.

• Industrisal/Commercial agencies are being requested to increase their own involvement in the preparation of Local Area Plans.

• Co Strategy Actions and community actions now being incorporated in Local Area Plans.

• Kilkenny Recreational Needs Report prepared and adopted by both Councils and the Development Plans were varied as necessary.

• The creation of dedicated staff/area of responsibility commenced and Estimate provision was made in 2004 for a Parks Department.

• Programme of Works on local roads,water and sewage schemes and five new playgrounds was approved by Members.

 

Conservation:

Highlights:

• The sum of €79,500 was paid under the Conservation Grant Scheme for protected structures.

• Four additions were made to the Record of Protected Structures.

• Architectural Inventories have been carried for nine villages and Urban design Studies carried out for four villages.

• A planning consultations/advisory system for sensitive buildings and protected structures was put in place.

 

County Strategy

Highlights:

• The deficiency in information on the  Planning system and its processes for small business was identified as an issue and solutions were identified and agreed. It is intended to prepare information packs on planning for the small business sector in 2004.

• A merging of Co Strategy actions with Dev Plan Actions is taking place at Area Plan level.

• Participated in a subgroup dealing with co-ordination of service at local level-arranged a co-ordinated input to the Urlingford Local Area Plan.

 

Derelict Sites

Highlights:

Priority was given to this area in 2003.

• The Councils five area offices were assigned responsibility for derelict sites.

• Staff were appointed including a Senior Executive Engineer to compile the Derelict Sites Register, serve Notices and apply derelict site levies on those who allow their properties to remain derelict.

• Substantial work was undertaken to identify all sites within the County.

• The next phase is the service of notices directing owners to undertake necessary works to their properties.

 

Development Charges

Highlights:

• The Council adopted a new Development Contribution Scheme for the purposes of raising new funding for capital projects.

• The sum of €3.3m was collected in 2003, an increase of €500,000 on the 2002 level.

• The members of the Council adopted a programme of capital works for 2004 to be funded from development contributions. This was the first such programme by Members and it will become an annual event.

 

Development Control

Highlights:

• 2,084 applications received in 2003 - the highest number ever.

• The sum of €905,265 received in planning fees - 2.1 times the estimated budget.

• Planning Clinic system expanded - Over 1,500 people used the clinics in 2003.

• Clinic Customer Survey carried out - initial assessment indicates high level of public satisfaction with the planning clinic service.

 

Enforcement

Highlights:

• The full staff compliment was reached in 2004 which allowed work on Enforcement to progress.

• A total of 450 complaints were investigated with 204 being brought to conclusion.

• The council successfully prosecuted 12 cases and fines up to €1,200 with costs were imposed by the court.

• Over €100,000 was received in planning retention fees.

• The Office of the Ombudsman closed many cases - it being happy with our complaints handling procedures.

 

Town Renewal

• The Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government extended the deadline for tax incentives until December 2006.

• An additional eight sites were certified by the Council in 2003.

 

Urban Renewal

Highlights:

• Phase 3 of the six year programme was undertaken Projects were completed at Dunmore, Moneenroe, Galmoy, Kilkenny City and Templeorum. Two others, Graiguenamanagh and Tullaroan were commenced.

 

IT Developments

Highlights:

• IGIS introduced on the public counter-this is an electronic version of the paper map register.

• An upgraded planning database was purchased and it is intended to make available on the internet a copy of the database and map register which will enable public access to the planning register from home.

 

Performance Indicators - Forward Planning

Year	2003	2002	2001	2000
No. of Planning Applications	1,657 (2,071 in total)	1,397 (1,892 in total)	1,828 (this includes valid/invalid)	2,023 (this includes valid/invalid)
No. of Permissions	1,173	1,112	1,289	1,504
(as a % of Decisions)	81.68%	81.22%	78%	79%
No. of Refusals	263	257	363	398
(as a % of Decisions)	18.31%	18.77%	22%	21%
% Decided within 8 weeks / 2 months	49%	53%	58%	61%
Deferral Rate	51%	47%
No. of Invalid Applications	414 (20%)	534 (28%)