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Northern Ireland Planning Authority of the Year Local Development Plan Planning for the future Fermanagh and Omagh District Council’s Planning Team was recently named Northern Ireland’s Planning Authority of the Year at the Royal Town Planning Institute Awards, recognising their excellence in providing high-quality planning services and contributing to the community. The team, of around 40 staff, plays a vital role in local plan making, development management, and enforcement, all while supporting sustainable growth in housing, jobs, tourism, and community facilities. The team represented Northern Ireland at the National Awards. In March 2023, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council became the first in Northern Ireland to adopt a Local Development Plan Strategy, the first of two key documents, guiding the District’s growth through 2030 in areas like housing, employment and infrastructure. Work has now commenced on the Local Policies Plan (LPP), the second part of the Local Development Plan, which will set out detailed local policies, designations and land use zonings that will shape our local communities while protecting the District’s built and natural heritage. The Council will take account of any site-specific representations made previously through the Preferred Options Paper as part of the preparation of the Local Policies Plan. The Council has also undertaken a ‘Call for Sites’ exercise to give individuals, landowners and developers an opportunity to submit sites for consideration for housing and economic development over the plan period (up to 2030) and beyond. The call for sites exercise will not determine whether a site should be allocated for development. However, it will help identify a potential pool of sites for further consideration. This will help to inform future decisions in the new Local Policies Plan. Contact the Local Development Plan Team by emailing developmentplan@fermanaghomagh.com , by Phone: 0300 303 1777 or by visiting our website fermanaghomagh.com 10 in-FO in Fermanagh & Omagh | Winter 2024