Environment

from Slaney News, Issue 139, December 2021.

Business & Finance

Wexford hosts major planning conference

Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council Cllr Barbara-Anne Murphy addresses the delegates at the Welcome Event for the IPI Conference 2021. Senior Planner Wexford Co. Council, Diarmuid Houston, welcomes the delegates to the IPI Conference 2021.

President of the Irish Planning Institute (IPI), Dr Conor Norton, has called for renewed urgency in the ongoing transformation of the planning system in Ireland to meet the major challenges in achieving sustainable development and climate action. Speaking at the IPI Annual Planning Conference in Wexford on 19th November in the context of the Housing for All and National Development Plan, Dr Conor Norton also highlighted the opportunity to rapidly rebalance the system and deliver a fit for purpose planning system for Ireland.

Dr Norton outlined at the conference the key areas that need to be addressed, with the Minister of State for Planning and Local Government, Peter Burke TD, department officials and delegates in attendance.

Irish Planning Institute (IPI) highlights key steps to complete the transformation of the planning system in Ireland.

1. Establish and commit to the fundamentals of planning: The true purpose of planning is to act in the interests of the public and the common good, and to secure the objectives of sustainable development. There is plenty of scope within these to complete the transformation of the planning system and to help to restore public confidence in the system. 2. ‘Connect the dots’ with a plan-led system: There is a need to complete the move to a plan-led planning system. While positive work has been done at national level, and with regional and metropolitan plans in place, the focus needs to shift to County and Local level. 3. Restoration of local level planning: With improved local level planning, the purpose and function of planning guidelines must be reconsidered. While there is no appetite to keep shifting the planning goalposts, sustainable place-making at local level must trump generic planning guidelines. 4. Consistency in decision making: There is need for consistency in decision-making and a rebalance of national and local level considerations, in addition to how vague highlevel policy is translated into Local Authority and An Bord Pleanala planning decisions. While this is important for planners, it is even more important for a ‘confused public’. 5. Regional planning: Ireland is almost unique in Europe as it still uses a two-tier government structure. In most countries regional planning provides the link between national and local level planning. Nationallevel planning should focus on national spatial and planning policy, and can coordinate regional planning, and indeed avoid unnecessary involvement in local matters. Likewise, local planning can then focus on the business of placemaking and regeneration within the coordinating framework of regional planning, and indeed high-level national policy and guidance. Concluding, Dr Norton said, “We have little time to waste and planners across the private and public sector need to work together and in collaboration with government to build the system that Ireland deserves and one that can meet the challenges ahead of us.” n

Back Row L-R: Cllr Pip Breen; Anthony Abbott King; Cllr Garry Laffan; Diarmuid Houston; Brian Keaney and Paul Hennessy. Front Row L-R: Cathaoirleach of Wexford Co. Council Cllr Barbara-Anne Murphy; Mary MacMahon; Dr. Conor Norton; Ciara Kellett.

Dec does it again!

No stranger to winning photography competitions, Wexford’s Declan Roche has won the overall Photographer of the Year award at the Clean Coasts 2021 Love Your Coast photography competition.

Wexford photographer Declan Roche’s winning image from the Wildlife and Underwater category, Let Me Out, was the overall winner of the 2021 Love Your Coast photography competition. The Love Your Coast competition is an integral part of the Clean Coasts programme. Ireland has some of the most spectacular and diverse coastlines in the world. For the past 12 years, the ‘Love Your Coast’ competition has been about capturing the essence of the Irish coastline, its beauty, and its diverse character.

Being Ireland’s foremost community-based coastal programme, Clean Coasts counts on the work of nearly 2,000 volunteer groups nationwide to help protect our coastline, waterways, seas, ocean, and marine life. Once more, Clean Coasts’ volunteers and groups have been eager to engage with us and support the fight against marine pollution. Clean Coasts mission is to foster pride in our coastline and waterways and each year the Love Your Coast competition is an opportunity to see this reflected in the entries. For the Love Your Coast 2021 competition, almost 1,300 entries were received – the most entries the Love Your Coast competition has had to date. Clean Coasts’ Love Your Coast photography awards were held virtually for the second year in a row, where the winning photographers for the competition were announced. The competition had a prize fund of €5,000 for the amateur photographers competing in five categories: Coastal Heritage, Coastal Landscape, People & the Coast, Wildlife & the Coast and the introduction of a brand-new Love Your Coast Category for 2021, Creativity and the Coast. 2021 saw local photographers score top places in various categories. Declan Roche won the overall Love Your Coast prize as well as first place in the Wildlife and Underwater category for his image Let Me Out which was shot at Wexford Harbour quayfront. Roche said of the winning image that “a regular talking point with people getting their ‘5K’ exercise on Wexford’s Marina during the lockdown in 2021 was this otter. I was there most days each week over a 6-week period, and this shot with a shore crab in his mouth was one of my better photos.” Photographer Myles Carroll also placed first in the new category called Creativity and the Coast for his photo entitled Seagull on Tour, taken at the beach at Kilmichael Point, Co. Wexford, with Ivan Donoghue winning third place in the same category for his photo entitled Sunlight from Above, taken at Hook Head.

Myles Lambert from Caim was the winner of the Coastal Heritage category with Remains of the Day, a tranquil image captured in Connemara, Co. Galway. Moreover, Graham Murphy with the picture titled Caught on the Hop and Thomas Ormond with the photograph Puffin with Sandeels were shortlisted in the top ten images for the Wildlife and the Coast Category. Nikki George’s image Hurling at

Ivan Donoghue won third prize in the Creativity and the Coast category for his photo entitled Sunlight from Above, taken at Hook Head, Co. Wexford.

Carroll’s image entitled Hook Lighthouse and Christine Taylor’s photo Stargazer were shortlisted in the Coastal Heritage and the Creativity and the Coast categories respectively. The 50 best shots were shortlisted by the Love Your Coast judges for an online gallery. Michael John O'Mahony, director of the Environmental Education Unit, said: "This is the 12th year of the competition and it has been very successful and very well received and we have seen some of the most amazing photographs of our coast over the last number of years. This is more than just a photography competition: we are an island nation and our coast and marine environment are incredibly important to us. Clean Coasts has almost 2,000 volunteer groups who are doing amazing work when it comes to managing and protecting our marine environment, so these photographs are a way for everybody to appreciate and celebrate our coast and be inspired to get involved too." n

Myles Carroll placed first in the new category called Creativity and the Coast for his photo entitled Seagull on Tour, taken at the beach at Kilmichael Point, Co. Wexford.

Overall winner: Declan Roche’s Let Me Out, Wexford Harbour Quayfront.

Roadmap to renewables

EirGrid and Eamon Ryan TD, Minister for Environment, Climate, Communications and Transport, have unveiled a roadmap to radically transform the electricity grid to meet renewable ambitions.

EirGrid was asked by the Government to transform the electricity system in anticipation of a future without coal, oil, peat and ultimately one with net zero emissions. Specifically, EirGrid must redevelop the grid to manage the vast majority of Ireland’s electricity coming from renewable sources by 2030. The Shaping Our Electricity Future roadmap is the result of a comprehensive 14-week consultation across all sectors of society and two years of research by industry experts and tens of millions of technical simulations. There were numerous engagements across Wexford as part of the consultation, including briefings for Wexford Chamber of Commerce and Wexford County Council, and an Irish Rural Link Workshop. In response, there were 492 submissions from members of the general public and 80 industry submissions. Shaping Our Electricity Future provides an outline of the key developments needed from a networks, engagement, operations and market perspective to support a secure transition to at least 70% renewables on the electricity grid by 2030. This is an important step on the journey towards 80% renewables, which will present opportunities for further renewable generators, and ultimately, net zero by 2050. EirGrid consulted on four different approaches to developing the grid and the final roadmap contains a blended approach that looks at grid development from an economic, technical, social acceptance and deliverability perspective and seeks to minimise the impact on communities while still delivering on the renewable ambitions. It also takes account of available capacity and network development synergies and is aligned with policy. The plan comprises 40 new grid infrastructure projects, representing a total investment of over €1 billion. This is on top of an existing €2.2 billion programme of grid infrastructure projects. Some of this additional investment will be seen in Wexford through upgrading existing lines and infrastructure.

Under the Shaping Our Electricity Future roadmap, there will be greater control over where future generation and demand is located, maximising the utilisation of the existing infrastructure while minimising the need for the development of new electricity lines. Most of the new projects identified in the blueprint are upgrades to existing infrastructure.

Minister Ryan said: “We must radically reduce the dependence on fossil fuels and make the transition to cleaner, indigenous renewable energy. Increased renewable energy will insulate Ireland from the volatility of international gas and carbon prices, which are near an alltime high. Shaping Our Electricity Future shows a clear path to delivery on our commitments to decarbonise our electricity grid, harness our natural resources and bring renewable energy into the heart of our communities. It will also enable us meet the projected increase demand for electricity over the coming years.” n

Glasgow, November 10th – Eamon Ryan TD, Minister for Environment, Climate, Communications and Transport, EirGrid Chief Executive, Mark Foley and Liam Ryan, EirGrid Chief Innovation and Planning Officer at COP26 unveiling the ‘Shaping Our Electricity Future’ roadmap.

Planning sought for new Enniscorthy nursing home

A Planning Application has been submitted to Wexford County Council by Green DCBM for a material change to what was previously granted for the site at Clonhaston, Enniscorthy. The application states: "Planning Permission is sought for construction of a three storey Nursing Home building (comprising a gross floor area of 5763.00 sqm) in lieu of previously granted (Planning Reg. Ref. 20180945) Pharmacy, Offices and Medical Centre building on the same site. Permission is also sought for alterations and moving of location of previously granted (Planning Reg. Ref. 20180945) two storey child care facility building (comprising a gross floor area of 906.00 sqm) to a new location on the site, beside the proposed Nursing Home. Planning permission is also sought to replace previously granted (Planning Reg. Ref. 20180945) stone boundary wall, running the full length along the R744 to be replaced with a 1.1 metre high metal railing and beech hedge.

Plan will “bring down emissions, create new jobs and protect communities”

The government’s new Climate Action Plan includes low-cost, high-benefit measures that will bring down emissions, create new jobs and protect communities across Wexford, Fine Gael TD Paul Kehoe has said.

A range of actions which will pave the way for Ireland to meet the legally binding target of reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions no later than 2050, are central in the plan. Deputy Kehoe said, “As it currently stands, Ireland has the second largest greenhouse gas emissions per person in the EU. “Climate change is a serious threat to families, businesses and communities across Wexford but the measures included in the Climate Action Plan provide us with an opportunity to create new jobs, bring down emissions and crucially protect our natural environment. We want reasonable and practical climate action that ensures the protection of jobs, farms and communities into the future.

“One of the most significant changes we’re going to see is the transition to up to 80% renewable electricity by 2030. Our electricity system is going to look radically different as we make fundamental changes over the coming years. We’re going to have less coal, gas and oil in homes and businesses across Wexford, and an increase in offshore wind on our coastlines, solar and other renewable energies.

Funding to combat erosion at Kilmore

Deputy Paul Kehoe has welcomed the recent announcement of approval of €367,740 for the installation of rock armour cliff toe protection to help combat the risk of erosion at Seaview, Kilmore, Co. Wexford.

Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, Mr. Patrick O’Donovan TD, announced the approval “The funding of retrofitting of homes across Wexford to make them warmer and cheaper to heat is key to embedding changes within our energy system. “Over 500,000 people will be helped to insulate their homes or change their heating systems, and approximately €300m will be spent in 2022 alone on supporting people to improve their home energy efficiency. “New industries will be created in retrofitting and offshore wind. We’re going to see the rollout of a new National Retrofit Plan, and my colleague Minister Simon Harris has already begun work in growing the sector with the launch of four new retrofitting centres of excellence last year. “Farmers are willing and able to play their part in climate action. They know the land better than anyone. They are part of the solution. “This plan provides farmers with the certainty they need for the future, after what has been a challenging and uncertain period for many due to Brexit and reform of the Common Agricultural Policy.

“This plan also includes serious investment in transport across Wexford.

“By 2030, there is going to be an additional 500,000 walking, cycling and public transport journeys per day. We need this plan to work for everyone though, and a crucial component is the widespread rollout of electric vehicles (EV) as well as investment in rural public transport. “With a target of almost one million EVs by 2030, we’re going to have record numbers of electric cars on Wexford roads over the next few years. “We want reasonable and practical climate action that ensures the protection of jobs, farms and communities into the future. There’s no doubt climate change is a huge challenge, but this plan presents significant progress to transitioning to a sustainable and cleaner way of living,” concluded Deputy Kehoe. The Climate Action Plan 2021 document is available to view here: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/6223 e-climate-action-plan-2021/ n

of Wexford County Council’s application under the Office of Public Works’ Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme.

Welcoming the announcement, Deputy Kehoe said, “As a coastal county, it is imperative that we move swiftly to protect areas and properties at risk from erosion. Today’s funding will help to protect the cliff frontage immediately adjacent to the access road to 14 properties at immediate risk of erosion in Seaview, Kilmore.”

“Wexford is renowned for its glorious sandy beaches, but the downside of that sandy coastline is that it is extremely vulnerable to erosion. We must continue to work to protect our coastline and the properties that are threatened along it.” n

Gold medal winners - congrats!

Students and teachers of Scoil Mhuire Coolcots on a visit to Johnstown Castle on 11th November. Wexford Tidy Town group: gold medal winners at the National Tidy Town Awards 2021.

Enjoying a visit to Johnstown

A peek inside Enniscorthy’s Santa’s Enchanted Castle

Pics by Maria Nolan

A Christmas must for Killegney Early Years – a school visit to Wheelocks Tree Farm, Moneyhore, Enniscorthy, 25th November. Surprise, surprise as the children play at the Tree Farm.