​Cllr. Dr. Parsons Secures Key Changes in New Plan:

A lot of good drafting work on the five-year development plan has been led by Cllr Dr. Evelyn Parsons – with near-unanimous support from her Municipal Area colleagues over the past few months of special meetings.

Her motion carried for Poolboy Landfill to put in place a Remediation Plan and to get specifically named as a county policy objective. The Chief Executive committed to its remediation in full compliance with the High Court Order of 1999 in front of a full council and press twice during the week in response to her raising the motion. On the back of the motion, she seconded another insertion for Kilconnell Remediation which was put forward by Cllr Broderick.

She referenced her vision for a Heartland Park, in the old landfill, which will be explored in the context of the Local Area Plan rezoning -  if the LAP boundary can be extended.

The councillor also proposed Kellysgrove had the potential to be a public park as it has Blue/Green Infrastructure and connects to Peatlands. This was adopted into the County Development Plan.

She proposed a successful specific policy objective to recognise Portiuncula Hospital’s importance within the county as the county’s second hospital to support its development. This received full support from all colleagues and was included.
The Councillor’s three Motions on Environmental Justice carried and will now be included in two chapters on Environment and Biodiversity.

Critically her motion carried on sludge management regional hub, in short, that Ballinasloe *will not* be considered a suitable location for a regional sludge centre due to its environmental sensitivities (SPC/ Callows, etc).

Finally, the Townparks inner relief road was inserted as a specifically named project under roads as a motion was carried and will now be in the CDP – which has a higher priority than the Local Area Plan.
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The material alterations will still have to go on public display by end of February, and the plan should be adopted by May 2022.