Minutes - SPC 4

Minutes of the Strategic Policy Committee 4 - Placemaking Directorate Meeting held on Wednesday 26th March 2025 at 11am in The Council Chamber, City Hall, Riverside, Sligo and Virtually via Microsoft Teams


IN ATTENDANCE:

  • Councillor Paul Taylor (Chair)
  • Councillor Liam Brennan
  • Councillor Ann Higgins
  • Councillor Fergal Nealon (MS Teams)

 

REPRESENTATIVES IN ATTENDANCE:

  • Joan Swift, Environmental/Conservation Sector
  • Conor McCarthy, Development/Construction Sector 
  • Sheila Scanlon, Community/Voluntary Sector (MS Teams)

 

APOLOGIES:

Councillor Barry Gallagher

 

OFFICIALS IN ATTENDANCE:

  • Emer Concannon, Director of Services
  • Siobhán Ryan, A/Senior Heritage Officer
  • Siobhán Gillen, Administrative Officer (SPC4 Meetings Administrator)
  • Declan Noone, Senior Executive Engineer
  • Marian O’Callaghan, A/Senior Architect
  • Robert Hensey, Project Coordinator for The Passage Tomb Landscape of Co Sligo World Heritage Bid.

 

1. Introduction

Cathaoirleach Councillor P. Taylor welcomed all in attendance to the first meeting of SPC4.

 

2. Overview of Placemaking SPC4 Areas

E. Concannon provided an update to the meeting on the newly established Placemaking Directorate. There are 4 Directorates which are mirrored/aligned by 4 SPCs. A PowerPoint presentation was provided to the Members.  Summary as follows:

  • Update on the newly adopted SPC Scheme 2024-2029
  • Update on the newly adopted Corporate Plan 2024-2029
  • Planning & Heritage update - covering CDP 2024-2029, Sligo LAP, Development Management, Vacancy & Dereliction,
  • Update on Capital Projects – covering Housing Capital, Urban Regeneration (Public Realm, City Campus & Harbour), Town Centre First & Rural Regeneration and Strategic National Roads.

A copy of the PowerPoint presentation was circulated to the Members following the meeting.

 

3. Update on Sligo’s Housing Delivery Action Plan 2022-2026

A link to the Action Plan was circulated via email to the Members in advance of the meeting.

M O’Callaghan provided a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation on Sligo CoCo’s Housing Capital HDAP progress – a Housing Delivery Action Plan which was sanctioned by Government in July 2022.  Summary as follows:

  • Overview of the HDAP Delivery to date and anticipated delivery for the remainder of the plan, to 2026.
  • Identification of strategies, procurement methods and Sligo CoCo’s exploration of new forms of delivery using modern methods of construction.
  • Social Housing Investment Programme and Capital Assistance Schemes (CAS with AHBs) – 395 projected.
  • Turnkey, Capital Assistance Loan Fund CALF, Approved Housing Bodies, etc – 165 projected.
  • Local Authority Part V – 75 projected.
  • Looking at modern methods of construction to fast-track housing delivery.

Comments:

  • Consideration to be given to Age Friendly, right sizing strategies and disability need
  • It was noted that government targets are anticipated to increase and that Sligo CoCo will need to respond with a new strategy for the next national targets and programme of social housing delivery.
  • A query was raised in terms of the capacity of schools to meet increased demand. It was noted that this was a matter for the Dept. of Education.
  • In respect of right sizing, it was noted that many older people are reluctant to leave their family homes to downsize due to a number of factors e.g. leaving their area and local communities and the importance of having local opportunities for right-sizing.
  • It was suggested, to ensure lessons learned are considered for new developments.

A copy of the PowerPoint presentation was circulated to the Members following the meeting.

 

4. Dereliction & Vacancy:

A verbal update was provided by D. Noone.

A programme of work focused on addressing and resolving dereliction and vacant properties has been developed by Sligo CoCo, using the various measures and schemes announced by Government to tackle dereliction and bring properties back into residential use i.e. Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant (415 applications to date), URDF Call 3 (approved list of 33 properties in Sligo Town to date), Repair & Leasing Scheme and a Ready to Build Scheme (managed by the Housing Section and Asset Management Section respectively).

A Dereliction Sites Team, chaired by the DOS meet on a bimonthly basis to discuss and review progress.

Comments:

  • A lot of praise and positivity re the success of the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant Scheme. No mention to date re scheme coming to an end.
  • Queries raised regarding the Derelict Site levy and income to date. €8k income in 2024.  To issue the DS levy, properties must be on the DS Register.  Currently 37 properties on the DS Register. 

 

5. Defective Blocks Scheme:

A verbal update was provided by D. Noone.

An new area of work currently managed by the Planning Enforcement Section is ‘The Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme’, whereby Sligo was added to the scheme on 23rd October 2024.  This Scheme provides financial support for remediation works on properties damaged due to defective concrete blocks with excessive amounts of mica or pyrite.  The Grant covers 100% of remediation work up to a maximum of €462k.  The online application process will go live on Sligo CoCo website on 1st April 2025.

 

6. UNESCO World Heritage Bid:

S. Ryan updated the meeting on the previously circulated report.

In summary, the report provided a background to World Heritage sites, World Heritage in Ireland, Ireland’s World Heritage Tentative List, the Essential Elements of a World Heritage Bid and Sligo CoCo Progressing the World Heritage Bid via the World Heritage Unit, at the National Monuments Service, Dept HLGH.  She highlighted the key actions undertaken to date and what was currently in progress.  Key dates include the submission of a Preliminary Assessment Report by Sept 2026 and a Nomination Dossier (incl. Management Plan) for site inscription by Feb 2029.  S. Ryan advised that these were the earliest dates that could be achieved and that they were subject to many external factors.

S. Ryan introduced R. Hensey who has been appointed to Sligo County Council since Nov 2024 as the Project Coordinator for The Passage Tomb Landscape of County Sligo World Heritage Bid.

R. Hensey provided a PowerPoint presentation on the UNESCO World Heritage Bid and the Passage Tomb Landscape of Co Sligo. As part of his presentation, he highlighted the various archaeological sites throughout the county as well as the timeline of activities to progress the World Heritage bid i.e. 2025: Capacity Building; 2026:  Preliminary Assessment; 2026-2028:  Intensive Engagement and writing nomination materials; 2029:  Nomination submission.  He informed the Members of the continuous engagement and liaison currently taking place with the National Monuments Service and World Heritage Unit as well as other state agencies.

A copy of the PowerPoint presentation was circulated to the Members following the meeting.

 

7. Any Other Business:

The progression of a work plan for SPC4 was queried.  It was noted E. Concannon’s overview outlined to the Members at the start of the meeting, would inform the work plan for SPC4.

The Chair acknowledged the query previously submitted regarding an update on Biodiversity in advance of Biodiversity Week taking place in May.  S. Ryan updated the Members on behalf of Ruth Hanniffy, Biodiversity Officer who was otherwise engaged and unable to attend the meeting. 

The Biodiversity Officer will schedule and promote a calendar of events following a similar process in 2024.  A grant application was submitted to the NPWS in Feb 2025 to deliver this programme.  A number of events are currently planned or in progress with partners.  Members of the Irish Environmental Network who have been awarded Biodiversity Week Funding are required to submit their event information to the IEN by 31st March 2025.  Following this date, contact will be made with all relevant groups and organisations to gather information on planned events for inclusion in this years calendar.  This will be shared publicly through social media, email lists, local newspapers, Ocean FM and SPC4.

The Chair also acknowledged an additional query previously submitted regarding a briefing on the Public Realm Enhancement Schemes at various stages of planning or consultation in villages in Co Sligo.  E. Concannon confirmed that a Part 8 process is currently going through a public consultation period for Strandhill village.

The Chair thanked all for their time and contribution to the meeting.

 

The meeting concluded at 12.45pm.


Meeting Date 26/03/2025