Report Paul Murphy
An update on the Meath County Development Plan has shown that some of the facilities granted planning permission in 2023 and 2024 included six medical centres, nine creches, four school extensions, eight all-weather playing pitches and 3,165 residential completions. Funding had also been secured for vital projects in the county including the Seafield Community Facility in East Meath which will feature eight lanes athletic track with floodlights, the Trim Indoor Athletics Arena and four new GAA pitches in Laytown.
The Meath County Development Plan has now entered its fourth year, with the council planning department overseeing a large number of residential and commercial projects being completed and funding secured for several new recreational and sporting facilities for the 220,000+ population of Meath.
This focus was set against the ambitions of the plan to support future growth, sstainability and the creation of socio-economically progressive, vibrant, dynamic and health communities in the county, said Padraig Maguire, Director of Services for Planning and Strategic Projects.
“Meath County Council has always been very clear in its vision and that is to make Meath even better. To do this, proper planning is instrumental, as is having the right systems in place to ensure a measured, consistent approach. Every application, project, strategy and sub-strategy has to be dealt with meticulously, taking into account a myriad of complex issues and sensitivities”, he said.
|Mr Maguire said the council was very pleased with the acknowledgement provided in the very thorough report of its service given by the Office of the Planning Regulator. It was important for the council to be recognised nationally but also important for it to see that it was on the right track.
In addition to the residential and recreational projects, the council granted planning permission during 2023 and 2024 for over 6,000 square metres of commercial office floorspace, 12,000 square metres in the industrial sector and over 48,00 and 20,000 square metres in the warehousing, logistics and retail industries.
