Local Development Plan Draft Plan Strategy

The publication of the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council Local Development Plan Draft Plan Strategy 2030 represents a significant milestone for the Fermanagh and Omagh District. The Local Development Plan will set out the framework for future planning and sustainable development of the District until 2030.

The Draft Plan Strategy is the first formal stage of our Local Development Plan and follows on from the Preferred Options Paper of 2016. It takes account of the particular characteristics of our district and the views of our residents, consultees and Council member of the planning framework for the District until 2030.

The Local Development Plan aims to meet the needs of all the people of the District by creating sustainable communities through housing, job creation, enterprise promotion, tourism support, provision of services and community facilities within the context of a healthy, well planned natural and built environment.

All representations received in relation to the Fermanagh and Omagh Local Development Plan Draft Plan Strategy are now available for inspection

To Explore our Draft Plan Strategy as an interactive Story Map click here.

• The Draft Plan Strategy
  The Draft Plan Strategy document sets out strategic planning policy for our District across a range of topics taking into account other regional planning policy. Your attention is drawn to a correction relating to the Settlement Hierarchy map on p.37. Please refer to the following link for the amended map: Settlement Hierarchy. A mapping error has also been identified in relation to the boundary of the Enniskillen Conservation Area (page 135). It should be noted that the correct Conservation Area boundary as designated is shown in the Enniskillen Conservation Area Design Guide (March 1988).
• Information Leaflet 
  Information leaflet giving details of tests of soundness, consultation events, venues and where we are in the overall Development Plan process and finally what happens next.
• Proposals Map Viewer
  The map viewer enables you examine the physical extent of our proposals within the Plan Strategy document.
• Wind Energy Strategy Map Viewer
• Spatial Strategy Map

Technical Assessments

• SA Report: Sustainability Appraisal
  The SA Report details the Sustainability Appraisal of the Plan Strategy. This examines its policies and proposals with the aim of achieving of sustainable development. This incorporates the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). SEA is required to assess the effects of plans and programmes on the environment.
  Your attention is drawn to corrections in Chapter 6: Monitoring and Implementation to address errors in the numbering of the Relevant Monitoring Indicators. Please refer to the following link for amended version: Chapter 6: Monitoring and Implementation
• Sustainability Appraisal – Interim SA Report
  Completed alongside the Preferred Options Paper (POP) and considers environmental, social and economic effects. Includes assessment of Strategic Reasonable Alternatives
• Sustainability Appraisal – Scoping Report
  Sets out sufficient information for the district and its environmental, social and economic effects to enable the Consultation Body to form a view on the proposed scope and level of detail that will be appropriate for the Sustainability Appraisal.
• Habitats Regulations Assessment 
  This considers the potential impact of the Plan Strategy’s policies and proposals on European designated nature conservation sites.
• Equality Screening Report
  This considers the potential impact of the Plan Strategy’s policies and proposals on specific groups identified in Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
• Rural Needs Impact Assessment
  This considers if Plan Strategy’s policies and proposals would have a differential impact on the social and economic needs of people in rural areas.

Studies

• Retail and Commercial Leisure Needs Assessment
  A Retail and Commercial Leisure Needs Assessment was published in March 2017 looking at how our town centres are changing, expenditure and population estimates and looked at our District’s retail provision against UK averages.
• Landscape Wind Capacity Study for Fermanagh and Omagh
  The wind capacity study provides technical assessments on landscape, visual and cumulative development matters for our District in relation to wind energy, providing guidance on the capacity of the landscape to accommodate wind turbine developments and associated infrastructure.
• Landscape Character Review for Fermanagh and Omagh
  Since the original Landscape Character Assessment was carried out across Northern Ireland in 1999, parts of the landscape of Fermanagh and Omagh have been subject to dramatic change. This review aims to update that Assessment so that it remains relevant to planning policy and the development management process.
• Landscape Designation Review
  Identifies whether existing landscape designations properly identify and define the most valued landscapes and proposes amendments or new areas for potential designation when they do not.

Please note that the following papers have not been updated at this time but will be reviewed and updated as necessary when moving forward to the Local Plan Policies stage. These are still available to view on the Preferred Options Paper web page:

• Education, Community and Health (Paper 10)
• Open Space, Recreation and Leisure (Paper 11)
• Sustaining Rural Communities (Paper 16)