The Office of the Planning Regulator, (OPR) in conjunction with the Association of Irish Local Government (AILG), resumed in-person planning training for local authority elected members earlier this month.
The training provided information and guidance for elected members on “Finalising the Development Plan and the Key Steps and Requirements from the Development Plan Guidelines.” The training was delivered in Athlone and Kilkenny on 16 and 18 June respectively.
The presentations dealt with:
- Development Plan Preparation: Ministerial Guidelines for Planning Authorities, delivered by Pauline Riordan/Colin Fulcher, Planning Advisers with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
- Learnings from the OPR’s Evaluation of Development Plans, delivered by Niall Cussen, Planning Regulator
The aim of the training was to ensure that local authority elected members are familiar with the contents of ministerial guidelines relating to Development Plan preparation.
Members also heard from the OPR about their latest findings from their evaluation of development plans. Good practice examples were highlighted from different local authority plans.
Watch what some of the meeting attendees said about the training:
One of the OPR’s functions is to conduct education and training programmes for members of planning authorities in order to reaffirm their roles and responsibilities within the planning system and their functions in relation to ensuring proper planning and sustainable development.