Key milestone complete for Local Development Plan 2030  

The preparation of the Fermanagh and Omagh Local Development Plan (LDP) draft Plan Strategy 2030 has reached another key milestone with the conclusion of the Independent Examination hearing sessions which ended on Wednesday 23 March 2022.

The Local Development Plan, once adopted, will set out the long term social, economic and environmental objectives for the Fermanagh and Omagh district, ensuring that lands are appropriately zoned and designated, to meet the future development needs of all the people of the district.

The hearing sessions of the Independent Examination was a key stage in the overall process in the preparation of a Local Development Plan by the Council.

Speaking about reaching the Independent Examination stage of the process, Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Councillor Errol Thompson, said “This is another significant step in the preparation of the Local Development Plan for the district which, when complete, will provide the framework for future planning and sustainable development of the district until 2030. I commend the Council’s Local Development Plan team in delivering the draft Plan Strategy to this stage.

The hearing sessions of the Independent Examination stage of the draft Plan Strategy, which were undertaken at the behest of the Department for Infrastructure by the Planning Appeals Commission to assess whether the draft Plan Strategy satisfies all statutory requirements and is ‘sound’, has now been completed.

The Commissioner’s report is due to be completed in mid-October 2022, and will be forwarded to the Department for Infrastructure. Once the Department considers the Commissioner’s report they will issue a Direction to the Council to adopt the plan as originally prepared or with modifications or to withdraw the draft Plan Strategy. In the interim period the Council’s LDP Team will work towards bringing forward the next stage of the LDP, the Local Policies Plan.