Laois forced by Minister to welcome turbines, high rises but reject residential zoning

Almost every change wanted by Laois councillors in the next Laois County Development Plan has been forcibly reversed.

Despite local wishes, Laois must welcome more wind turbines and high rise apartment blocks, while tracts of land that councillors wanted for housing have all but one been forced back under zoning to remain undeveloped.

The county must also up its game in delivering renewable energy to the national grid, including solar farms and Anaerobic Digesters but with an emphasis on windfarms.

The Minister of State for Local Government and Planning, Peter Burke, has issued a Ministerial Directive to Laois County Council this week, telling it to undo many of the additions voted in by Laois councillors, to the draft Laois County Development Plan 2021 - 2027.

Councillors had added a 1.5km setback distance from wind turbines to property boundaries which effectively ruled out all of Laois from getting more wind turbines. This was rejected by the Minister who said it was not consistent with the National Planning Framework and Wind Energy Development Guidelines. The setback now remains at 500m. 

Laois has only one windfarm in operation giving 37MW or 0.7% of wind capacity to Ireland, but three more have planning approval to offer a possible total 120MW. Five solar farms approved permission could add another 137.7MW, while a planned huge anaerobic digester could offer 4,300MW hours per year.

Two big Laois housing estates to be taken in charge

Councillors had added a clause that "developments should be no more than 3 storey on greenfield sites". This is now rejected, as it contravenes national guidelines on compact growth of towns and efficient use of land.

Three out of four land zoning decisions that paved the way for potentially hundreds more houses, were forced to revert because they were too far from town centres. 

The Minister has changed his mind and allowed one to remain, the controversial rezoning of Rathevan lands in Portlaoise, which had been objected to by many residents and Portlaoise councillors. It is to be zoned from Strategic Reserve up to Residential 2.

The three that are not permitted include one in Stradbally and two more in Portlaoise.

The Laois County Council CEO John Mulholland had changed his original recommendation and suggested that all four zonings be permitted, given the rise in demand for housing, also citing the Ukrainian people fleeing war which was not factored into the original plan. 

Mr Mulholland said the four sites totalling 15 hectares could offer 400 housing units.