Remainder of the County

The settlement strategy for the rest of the County will also involve the encouragement of development in the existing settlement nodes that have been identified.

This policy will maintain and enhance the vitality of these settlements while dealing with the problem of ribbon development. However, it will require major investment in sanitary services infrastructure as many of these settlement nodes have sub standard sewage disposal systems and water supplies. This policy will also help consolidate the social infrastructure in these villages and improve the quality of life for local people and for those that live in the surrounding areas.

The settlement strategy provides for the zoning of additional land for development in the selected development nodes. This will guarantee the availability of land for housing in these areas over the next plan period and help to reduce the demand for single houses in scenic areas. This settlement strategy will be accompanied by controls on the location of housing in these areas for the following important reasons:

1. They have been identified in the landscape evaluation as sensitive areas that have a distinctive, homogenous character dominated by natural processes. Development in these areas would have the potential to create impacts on the appearance and character of an extensive part of the landscape.
   
   
2. They contain (with the exception of Drumhills and the Knockmealdown Mountains) Natural Heritage Areas where plants and animals exist in relatively natural state (p. 15, Evaluation of Environmental Designations in Ireland: The Heritage Council, 1997).
   
   
3. They have been identified as containing aquifers of regional importance that are extremely vulnerable to groundwater pollution.

An important element of the settlement strategy is the designation of a number of new settlement nodes in close proximity to the towns of Carrick-on-Suir and Youghal. Both of these towns have experienced growth in recent years and this has led to an increase in the number of planning applications for single dwellings in their environs. In response to this demand, a new settlement node has been created at Piltown (to cater for the growth of Youghal) and additional land has been zoned for development at Rathgormack and Clonea-Power. This policy is a planned response to increased pressures for development in these areas.