Proposed Sligo Town and Environs Urban Area Plan
Pre-Draft Consultation - Update – 10 October 2025
Pre-draft consultation on a proposed Sligo Town and Environs Urban Area Plan took place from the 9 July 2025 until the 22 August 2025. An Issues Paper was published on Sligo County Council’s online consultation platform (https://consult.sligococo.ie/en/) and on the Council’s website https://www.sligococo.ie/planning/DevelopmentPlans/ProposedSligoTownandEnvironsUrbanAreaPlan/), where it remains available for viewing and download.
Fourty-nine submissions were received. Twenty-six submissions were received from individuals (six of which were second and third submissions from the same author), eleven from state bodies, eight from community groups, a joint submission from two non-profit organisations and three from private companies.
A formal Chief Executive’s report is not required by legislation. However, it is considered good practice to acknowledge and respond to all submissions received. A Planning Report has been prepared by the Development Planning Unit where each submission is summarised and responded to. This report is available at the following link on the SCC Consultation Portal: https://consult.sigococo.ie/en/node/2235/outcomes
What happens next?
Pre-draft consultation was the first of several stages in the process of preparing and making a new Urban Area Plan for Sligo Town and Environs. The Plan will be made according to the statutory procedure set out in Part 3 of the Planning and Development Act 2024 (as amended) which has not yet commenced but is expected by the end of 2025.
Sligo County Council’s Development Planning Unit (DPU) has started preliminary work on a proposed draft Urban Area Plan. All the suggestions and recommendations set out in the 49 submissions received will be carefully considered by the DPU. A draft Plan is envisaged to be published for consultation in 2026.
The formal commencement of the Urban Area Plan process can only take place after the relevant part of the new legislation has commenced (see above). At that stage, there will be another round of public consultation on specific, concrete proposals – policies, objectives, other types of measures – contained in the Draft UAP.
Pre-Draft Consultation
Sligo County Council intends to prepare a new plan (called an Urban Area Plan - UAP) to guide the future development of Sligo Town and its environs. The UAP will specify how the integrated overall strategy for the proper planning and sustainable development of the area, as set out in the County Development Plan, will be implemented.
Issues Paper
The Development Planning Unit of Sligo County Council has prepared an Issues Paper (PDF) - 3,259 kbs which sets out key planning issues for Sligo Town and its environs. The Issues Paper will be available to view and download from the County Council’s consultation portal https://consult.sligococo.ie/ starting on Wednesday 9 July 2025.
Submissions or observations are invited from anyone with an interest in the future development of Sligo Town. Children, or groups representing their interests, are entitled and encouraged to make submissions or observations.
Printed copies of the Issues Paper may be ordered for purchase from Sligo County Council’s Planning Office, City Hall, Quay Street, Sligo (Tel. 071 911 4440).
Submissions
Written submissions or observations regarding the preparation of the UAP may be made to the Planning Authority from Wednesday 9 July to Friday 22 August 2025 (6 weeks).
Submissions should be made through the Council’s consultation portal at https://consult.sligococo.ie/
Although NOT recommended, submissions headed “pre-draft Sligo Town UAP” may be e-mailed to dpu@sligococo.ie or posted to:
Ms. Siobhan Gillen
Administrative Officer, Planning Section
Sligo County Council
City Hall, Quay Street, Sligo
All submissions will be redacted, if necessary (to comply with GDPR), and made available for public viewing on the Council’s Consultation Portal. Please do not include personal or sensitive information.
Submissions will be accepted until 4 pm on Friday 22 August 2025. Late submissions will not be taken into consideration.
Emer Concannon
Director of Placemaking
Sligo County Council