Members of the public are to have their say on the draft development plan for Waterford.
The plan which shapes how the city and county will develop between now and 2028 will go on public display for 10 weeks over the summer from the 14th of June.
Waterford Council say members of the public will be able to access the draft plan via public counters/ libraries and an online portal.
The public consultation phase follows an intensive series of 13 meetings over eight weeks with councillors.
Eleven amendments were agreed on covering issues from entertainment and the night-time economy, to waste water systems, access from rural roads, zoning maps and rural housing, which is one of the more sensitive areas.
Senior planner with the local authority Liam McGree told councillors that social need and economic need will factor into rural planning decisions:
"In relation to housing need, persons with an economic need are people whose need is related to their occupation or to some other reason. They don't necessarily have to be from the rural area themselves. But they're moving to a rural area because of specific requirements to live in that area. Maybe they're engaged in horticulture or farming or forestry or bloodstock, that type of thing. You know, those are activities that can't obviously be carried out easily within an urban context."
Mr McGree added that persons who have lived in a rural area for seven years or more and had a demonstrable social need to live in the area would also be catered for:
"A local area for the purposes of this policy is defined as an area generally within 10 kilometers radius of the applicant's former place of residence. And the rural housing policy would apply equally to those living in the rural area, who require a new dwelling to meet their own housing need, as well as returning immigrants wishing to establish a permanent residence for themselves in the families in their local communities. Again, this has been discussed with a number of members across all parties. And I think there's broad consensus in relation to that."
The draft plan includes changes to zoning in areas of the city and county, such a site for low-density residential housing in Ballinroad, the zoning for educational use of land at the Educate Together in Tramore, a mixed use development in the Tycor area and maintaining the Greenbelt around Gaelscoil na nDeise in Ballgunner.
It will be available to view in the coming weeks and people are being urged to use this opportunity to have their say on it.
