OPR holds training webinar for local authority elected members

The Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) in conjunction with the Association of Irish Local Government (AILG) held its second online planning training webinar for elected members of local authorities today, Friday, 18th September.

Today’s webinar considered the key early stages of plan making.  It analysed central aspects of this process including the preparatory background work prior to the initiation of the review process, the Issues Paper as well as best practice in citizen and stakeholder engagement.

The role of the Core Strategy and its implications for the wider development plan were addressed too. This included the Core Strategy and its relationship with the Housing Strategy. Recent legal developments were also analysed.

The training was delivered by the Planning Regulator, Niall Cussen and the Deputy Planning Regulator, Anne Marie O’Connor and was followed by a Question and Answer session.

The presentations from the event are now available.

This is the fourth training session organised by the OPR and the AILG. Events were previously held in Dundalk and Limerick in October 2019, in Cavan and Waterford in February 2020 while the first online webinar was held in July. Further webinars are scheduled for October and November with details to follow soon.

Presentations delivered at all training events are available at https://cdgserver4.com/opr/elected-members-training/

One of the OPR’s functions is to conduct education and training programmes for members of planning authorities and members of staff of these authorities to reaffirm their roles and responsibilities within the planning system and their functions in relation to ensuring proper planning and sustainable development.