Letterkenny Development plans sees draft Ministerial directions opposed

A special planetary meeting of Donegal County Council (DCC) heard this week that elected members were at odds with a draft Ministerial direction in relation to six locations of the proposed Letterkenny Plan and Local Transport Plan, 2023-2029, which would see them be either rezoned or amended from what councillors had previously agreed.

The areas include Glencar Scotch and Killyclug, Creeve, Castlebane, Ballymacool and Bunnagee and they were told that the Minister now has six weeks to make a determination, after taking on board comments from councillors in relation to his directions.

There would then be “a final determination” by the Minister, as was explained by Eunan Quinn, senior planner with the council. 

Cllr Gerry McMonagle SF commented that to undo permissions that were there for years was a backward step and “the evidence on the ground is that they support the inclusion of these sites to residential and the one at Ballymacool to be the possible site of a childcare facility in the future”.  

Cllr Paul Canning (FF) pointed out while these directions were being handed down by the Department, locals would consider these proposed draft directions as “our plan”, a reference to the councillors themselves. 

He said it was time that councillors “dig in our heels”. 

The Letterkenny Plan and Letterkenny Transport Plan 2023-2029 was formally made by members of Donegal County Council (DCC) on November 13 last.

The plan took effect from January 3 of this year with a plan direction of six years until 2029. 

As required under the planning law the planning authority issued notification of the plan’s adoption to the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR), who were also informed by the CEO of DCC of the decision of the council not to comply with certain recommendations made in the relevant report of the OPR, with reasons set out by the council.  

On December 20, the Minister of State for Local Government and Planning, Kieran O’Donnell issued a ‘Notice of Intention to issue a Direction’, concerning the zoning of six parcels of land in the town, that “shall not have effect”.

A public consultation period then took place between January 12 and 25 with a total of 16 submissions received, including 13 from private parties and statutory bodies including the Northern and Western Regional Assembly (NWRA), Uisce Eireann and the Department of Education.  

Commenting on the draft directions, Cllr Gerry McMonagle (SF) said that they were under severe pressure in Letterkenny when it came to future plans.

This has been discussed at length at Letterkenny and Milford (MD) meetings and the feelings of most members were well documented at this stage. 

“The Oldtown one, Creeve, and indeed the one at Ballymacool regarding future education and childcare facilities. We are under extreme pressure in Letterkenny to provide childcare and there is an opening there for that kind of business to grow. 

“And it is just about getting a site to develop and the Ballymacool site has long been recognised as a fairly feasible site for that.     

Regarding many of the sites including Oldtown, he said that councillors felt that it was a “no brainer” when it came to development of those areas as residential sites.

“The services are already in the areas and Killyclug in particular, it’s a residential area . . and they are building houses as we speak just a hundred yards from the site that the OPR are arguing against here,” he said.

“It is noted as an area where you would build, all the services are there, you would be close to local amenities and I can’t see for the life of me why we would rule out the Killyclug area and in particular then with the pressures that we have on housing in Letterkenny and the availability of them - the growing population, we base figures on the last census and we are not taking into account the new people that we have had, that have come into the county and particularly into Letterkenny over the last number of years due to the war in Ukraine and international protection asylum seekers. And if you make that argument for Killyclug, then you have to make the same argument for Lisnenan.”

He said that these sites in particular needed to be looked at again and “make a cse to the OPR” and “listen to what the members and the local people are saying and developers that these are sites which are ready to go, houses can be built on them and to undo the permissions that were already there for years is a backward step”.

Cllr Paul Canning (FF) supported his Sinn Fein colleague and said that the perception would be out there that the changes would be “our plan as it always is”.

“So I think that we need to dig in our heels on all of the items today in so far as what we have said, first of all, it doesn’t make sense”.

He said that the matter needs to be pushed back to the Minister and to explain “that there is a reason why we have these sites zoned as we have them. 

“There is a reason there and why are they not listening to that reason.”

Cllr Donal Coyle (FF) said he agreed with the previous speakers , but he particularly wanted to speak about the site at Bonagee.  

“Where there are existing developments, it’s not that big a site, but it is a very important site for future development for existing businesses and to just cut out one, not that big an area of land and to stop existing businesses being able to expand is not right and I certainly wouldn’t agree with that piece being taken out of the plan.  

Cllr Kevin Bradley (Ind.) also agreed with the previous comments.“The town is crying out for works . . .  this is not our plan”.       

He added that they needed to go back to the Minister to ensure that Letterkenny progressed.

Cllr Jimmy Kavanagh (FG) added his support to comments already made and said that by personally contacting the OPR individually and the Minister Office as well as collectively, it would add weight and strength to the concerns of county councillors. 

Clr Donal Mandy Kelly (FF) said that they had examined “in depth” with many months of work into the plan as “Letterkenny is crying out for housing”.

He said that at Killyclug, the local authority were building houses, and pointed out by Cllr McMonagle, just a hundred yards away from the site, “an ideal site with all the services”. 

“It is important that we keep in the plan, what we recommended as local representatives and Lisnenan is the same. 

He also cited works already taking place at Creeve, although he recognised water issues in that area and supplies from the reservoir and that infrastructure needed to be accordingly upgraded as well. 

“We have to come on strong on this and Cllr Canning is right, as this will come across as our plan, this is our last crack at it”.

Mr Eunan Quinn, on behalf of the county council, assured members that their comments would be reflected and recorded in the addendum to the council CEO’s report that would be going back to the Minister “and your commentary is there”. It would also include their own views known in relation to the draft directions.

The Draft direction sets out the following:

(a) Delete the following zoning objective from the adopted plan, i.e. the subject land is un-zoned: 

(i) PR 17 Glencar Scotch and Killyclug - i.e. the subject lands change to unzoned from Primarily Residential.

(b) Reinstate the following zoning objectives and associated text to that of the draft plan:

(i) MA30(B) PR12 Creeve - i.e. the subject lands revert to Local Environment

(ii) MA31 PR11 Killyclug - i.e. the subject lands revert to Local Environment from Primarily 

Residential

(iii) MA34 PR2 Castlebane - i.e. the subject lands revert to Local Environment from Primarily 

Residential

(iv) MA44 Ballymacool - i.e. the subject lands revert to Local Environment from Community and Education - 

(v) MA42 Bunnagee - i.e. the subject lands revert to Open Space from General Employment and Commercial and apply all necessary consequential updates to the text of the plan consistent with the foregoing.