Coillte commenced early public consultation on its draft vision for the enhancement of Portumna Forest Park in October 2023 and sought feedback from local interest groups and the local community on its proposed vision.

 

The feedback obtained from the public consultation and direct engagement with stakeholders has informed Coillte’s approach to the Strategic Design Plan for this important local amenity. This feedback is now presented in the Summary Feedback & Responses Report, which is also available at the link below.

 

The most frequently raised concern from members of the community related to potential impacts on the environment of the Forest Park from any proposed development. The principal aim of the Strategic Design Plan is to ensure that any future development in the Forest Park will be carried out in a sensitive and environmentally conscious way. Habitats within the Forest Park which are known to be of high ecological value will be protected and conserved. Additional issues raised are summarised in the attached report.

 

Taking the feedback from both this report and key stakeholder engagements onboard, Coillte will progress the actions identified in the report and develop a Strategic Design Plan for Portumna Forest Park.

 

The Strategic Design Plan will be published on this website in the coming months. Each element of the Plan that progresses will then be subject to the appropriate planning and statutory processes and as with all statutory planning processes, the public will have an opportunity to engage and comment on any aspect of the proposed development.