Region’s inclusion in second draft of plan is a really vital long term win
LOUTH got a big win last week.
It was the kind of victory that will have escaped the majority of us and will not make many of us sit up and pay attention.
However the inclusion of M1 corridor in the second draft of the Government’s National Development Plan is a key win for the region and a notable success for both Louth County Council and Dundalk Chamber who made submissions to the Government.
The previous draft of the plan, ignored this region and focused on the regional cities of Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford.
Certainly the country needs more regional development away from Dublin, where housing pressures are so critical, but the south west’s gain was certainly a blow to other regions, Louth included.
Thankfully, both Louth County Council and Dundalk Chamber reacted in a positive fashion to the setback and exclusion from the first draft.
They both looked at the criteria which was required by the Government in separate yet similarly focused submissions and sufficiently made the case for this region to be included in the second draft of the Development Plan which is aimed at being the blueprint for national development up to 2040.
Being on the outside looking in, as this plan was put into action, simply would have been a disastrous backward step for the prospects of the region, particularly with all the challenges that lie ahead as Brexit follows in the years ahead.
This National Development Plan is similar to the National Spatial Strategy from 2002 which granted Dundalk Gateway status.
At the time, Dundalk’s Gateway status was expected to unlock significant advantages for Dundalk but the plan was scuppered nationally when approximately a year later, the then Government led by Bertie Ahern rolled out a policy of decentralisation in which towns, the length and breadth of the country who were not awarded included in the National Spatial Strategy were awarded a decentralised civil or public service department.
It was a botched job, a clearly political decision by a Fianna Fail led government who experienced a backlash from those excluded, which gelded the National Spatial Strategy in one fell swoop.
The key now is that the draft of the National Development Plan is put into action and that the Government don’t repeat the mistakes of the Ahern Government and follow up with a secondary plan that dilutes the former so badly that it is virtually useless.
A lot of toil and lobbying went into getting us to this stage. Work unseen and unglamorous work, but vital in getting this region back into the game.
There will be no statues or civic receptions for those got the Government to sit up and take notice of this region, but those people such as members of Dundalk Chamber and officials within Louth County Council deserve our gratitude.
Credit also to Minister Eoghan Murphy who accepted a lobby group from Dundalk Chamber during the summer and listened to their arguments for this region’s inclusion.
Hopefully we will see the fruits of their labours in the years ahead.
Certainly been on the board the National Development Plan when it leaves the station is far preferable than being left on the platform without a ticket and up until this second draft, County Louth was indeed ticket-less.