Zoning amendment could mean 1,000s of new houses in Laois

EIGHT thousand new homes could be built throughout Laois in the coming years following Laois Co Council approval of a major government-initiated zoning amendment.

The decision came on foot of the government asking councils nationwide to make changes to existing county development plans. In the case of Laois, it amends the parts of the 2021-2027 plan to zone additional ‘new residential lands’" in line with new national housing growth requirements.

The variation proposed 88 zoning changes across 27 settlements throughout Laois, covering approximately 257 hectares of land; the vast majority of these proposed new zonings were endorsed by the representatives of Laois Co Council.

As part of the process for confirming the new zonings, LCC liaised with various official bodies, including the ESB and the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR).

On foot of receiving the 88 zoning proposals, the OPR raised several concerns with some of the new zoning changes, highlighting flooding risks and main road access as problem areas.

Questions were raised by the National Transport Authority and the Department of Transport about the effect this massive increase in the overall Laois landbank would have on infrastructure demands, while the National Parks and Wildlife Service raised concerns about the scheme nationwide.

Moving forward, the council said it would engage with the relevant government departments and infrastructure providers to ensure services can support the forthcoming wave of housing developments.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme