Village Plans for County Laois.

The Village Plan Brief is intended to inform the Community about the preparation of the Village Plan for their local area.

The Village Plans to be prepared under the Laois County Development Plan 2006-2012 will aim to provide for the consolidated and sensitive development of each village in County Laois.

 Purpose of Village Plan

 The purpose of the Village Plan will be to advise, inform and guide both the local community and potential developers in the future expansion of each village.

Advising future developers or landowners who wish to develop their lands in a particular area is an inherent responsibility of the Local Planning Authority. Increasingly this role is made more complex because of the change in the nature of developments. It is now the case that applicants should display an interest in the area within which their application is located. This is due to the impact that many of the larger development schemes have on the immediate hinterland.  The Village Plans shall therefore request that any development will match the character of the village both in terms of design appropriateness while contributing to the provision or upgrade of community facilities.

 Information relating to the area concerned is a critical consideration that should be taken into account by potential developers. The Village Plan is a document that records the character of the area and charts the amenities, community facilities, open space and infrastructure of a particular village.

 The Village Plan is a document that should be used as a guidance tool for developers and the community. By documenting the character and amenity of an area and setting out a framework for development, the Village Plan will give applicants the opportunity to fully appreciate that the development principles and objectives are critical issues for consideration in order to ensure the sustainability of the village concerned.