Have your say! Kilkenny residents urged to play role in county’s future development

Kilkenny residents are being urged to have a say on the direction of the future development and planning in the city and county. But local residents have just two weeks before the deadline to air the views expires.

The Irish Planning Institute (IPI) invited members of the public to fully engage in the review of the Draft City and County Development Plan.

The IPI called on individuals, residents’ associations and business organisations across Kilkenny to engage proactively with the local authority through the inclusive plan-making process.

IPI President Dr Conor Norton said: “Public engagement with Development Plans will be transformative in developing sustainable communities in every Local Authority in Ireland.

“The Development Plan at City, County and Local level is the main instrument used by Local Authorities to set out a sustainable vision and strategy for places and it is the basis for decisions on planning applications.

“While planners are responsible for preparing Development Plans, the process of shaping them should never be the preserve of professionals or sectoral groups.  Consultation and engagement are built into the process of preparing Development Plans. This is a process that must be fully exploited, so that plans can be enriched and validated by ordinary citizens and communities.

“Citizens and communities have a keen understanding of the issues and opportunities in their localities. When communities are genuinely engaged from an early stage in the making of Plans, they are a real part of the process and can have a greater role in shaping Plans,” Mr Norton concluded.

The deadline for submissions on Kilkenny County Council’s Draft City and County Development Plan closes on Thursday, March 12.