PDF-973 kb - Mayo County Council

4. Documentation and all relevant detail on planning files are available on MayoCounty Council’s website.The Planning Office of Mayo County Council has registered 3,256 planningapplications up to the end of November 2005. The total applications for 2005 areestimated at 3,450. In the year 2004 the total number of applications registered was3,785.The commercial & industrial sector applications have continued to remain strong.Applications of this nature if and when granted not only provide much neededemployment themselves, but also act as a catalyst to generate and support furtherdevelopment in the regions where they are located. They form part of the platformfrom which the county can harness and develop the resources in an environmentallyfriendly way. They provide much needed employment and stability for localcommunities and help bridge the infrastructure deficit to allow us compete forinvestment & employment.Statutory Development PlansMayo County Council adopted its County Development Plan on 17 th November,2003. This will be the blueprint for development in the Mayo County Councilfunctional area over the next 6 years.The Forward Planning Section throughout 2005 prepared a draft Claremorris LocalArea Plan that is expected to be adopted in the very near future. A Local Area Plan forWestport has been adopted.The Forward Planning Section has been responsible for the implementation ofQuarries & Ancillary Guidelines throughout 2005. Mayo County Council received atotal of 103 applications for registration under these guidelines, & while most of theinitial investigations etc were carried out in 2005, follow up actions under theGuidelines will continue throughout 2006.ComputerisationThe Planning Section has had substantial investment in computerisation over the lastfew years. Continued support and resources help to ensure that the Planning functionis delivered in a timely and efficient manner. Planning Applications are now beingscanned and are available in all area offices. The Planning Register is computerised.As part of this increased computerisation, all new applications are scanned.The Planning Section piloted an E-Planning project in 2005, and this project is stillongoing.Conservation GrantsThe Planning Section administer the Conservation Grant Scheme operated by theDepartment of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government This grant is fullyrecoupable from the Department. 16 applications were received in 2005. MayoCounty Council’s allocation in 2005 was €120,000.39