Council to strengthen Offaly's nature corridors
By Rebekah O'Reilly
Offaly County Council has made the decision to strengthen planning protections for two of the county’s most significant rehabilitated peatland landscapes through changes to the County Development Plan.
The proposed variation sees the existing “Wilderness Corridors” renamed as “Peatland and Nature Corridors”, reflecting their environmental significance and providing clearer planning guidance for their future use and protection.
The two corridors cover extensive areas of rehabilitated bogland in east and west Offaly.
The eastern corridor includes Cavemount, Esker, Ballycon, Derrycricket, Clonsast North, Clonsast and Derryounce, while the western corridor stretches across Blackwater, Ballaghurt and Belmont Bogs from Clonmacnoise towards Belmont village.
Both corridors have the potential to connect with routes identified on the Midlands Cycling Destination Offaly Network Map.
Under the current County Development Plan, the corridors are envisaged as large, unspoilt landscapes characterised by an absence of intrusive development, settlements and visual disturbance.
The aim is to create places where visitors can “go off the beaten track”, immerse themselves in nature and experience restored peatland habitats. The areas are intended to support biodiversity, nature restoration and climate resilience while also creating opportunities for recreation and tourism.
Existing access roads and former bog railway lines could be repurposed to develop a network of interconnected “peatways”, linking the peatlands with attractions including Clonmacnoise, the River Shannon and the Grand Canal Greenway.
The variation includes updated policies, objectives and mapping designed to clarify the status and significance of the corridors within the county.
According to the council, the changes recognise the need to achieve a balanced approach to the future use of rehabilitated peatlands, ensuring that biodiversity protection, habitat restoration and the character of the county’s distinctive peatland landscape remain central to future planning decisions.
The policy also acknowledges the cumulative impact of existing and proposed large-scale renewable energy developments within and around the corridors, with the updated planning framework intended to ensure future development is considered in an integrated and balanced manner.
It comes following the adoption of a major variation to the Offaly County Development Plan, which will increase residential zoning across the county while also providing for a number of other strategic changes.
Proposed Variation No. 1 of the Offaly County Development Plan 2021-2027 was approved by Offaly County Council under Section 58 of the Planning and Development Act 2024 (as amended) following consideration of the Chief Executive’s Report, environmental assessments and public submissions.