Local Development Plan public hearing sessions to commence this week
4 September 2023
Anyone with an interest in local planning and development is encouraged to tune in to a series of online public hearing sessions beginning this week as part of the campaign of engagement for Derry and Strabane’s Local Development Plan.
The Local Development Plan (LDP) Independent Examination’s public hearing sessions will commence on 5th September 2023. It’s the latest stage in the process of delivering a Local Development Plan to shape planning policy for all development across Derry and Strabane until 2032.
Following the Submission of the LDP draft Plan Strategy in May 2022, Council received a formal letter from DfI Planning, stating that the Submission had successfully passed its initial checks, progressing on to the next stage of Independent Examination.
At the end of April 2023, the PAC wrote to the Council, advising that the Commissioner will begin the LDP Independent Examination’s public hearing sessions at 10.30am on 5th September 2023.
The sessions will run from tomorrow for an initial two-week period (of approximately six weeks in total) with sessions being conducted remotely, and available to stream on Youtube.
The PAC ‘Guidance Notes for Participants’ have been published and are available on the PAC website (DCS Examination Library). A specific procedural document will be published prior to the opening of the remote hearing sessions explaining how they will operate.
Head of Planning with Council, Maura Fox, encouraged anyone with an interest in local planning to view the sessions online. “I am delighted that we have reached this stage in the LDP process and that the draft plan has passed through the initial assessment stages. This Independent Examination will be the next step towards adoption of the LDP Plan Strategy.
“I would encourage anyone with an interest in planning and local development to take the opportunity view the online public hearing sessions as part of the campaign of engagement which has helped shape our LDP from the beginning.”
The public hearing sessions can be viewed online from 10.30am on Tuesday September 5th on Youtube at www.youtube.com/channel/UCOzcxPyBJzH3XbF13M_t52w
All LDP Submission documents can also be viewed online and are available for inspection during normal office opening hours, by appointment only, at the Council's two main offices in Derry and Strabane.
Further details on the LDP IE can be found at www.derrystrabane.com/subsites/ldp