Rezoning of industrial land for community project?

-AS

Hi
Looking for advice please..
If a community organisation was looking to go about requesting the change of land currently zoned as industrial to community use what would be the best way to go about this?

As a bit of background, we have been looking for a site close to our small town to build or buy a building for youth activities for some time without success.
At one of our meetings there was a suggestion to look at land zoned for industrial use (some 30 or so yrs back) which was never developed and is still green field
We live in an area of good community spirit but need additional community facilities which we hope the planning dept will support, we imagine that the council would be protective against rezoning for residential but that obviously isn't our objective

Would the best way forward be to contact the planning dept directly to discuss, if so at what level - divisional manager? Or ask the help of political representative to engage the council ( even politically not sure if best to talk to councillor or TD? )

Thanks in advance for any advice

Drift

Have you had any contact with the land owner. If you have had discussions about buying the land subject to being allowed build your community building then you should apply for planning permission and seek a "material contravention" of the local area plan. The planners will then decide if they fancy over ruling the current zoning and will do so if they think it's a (very) good idea.

If you have no direct interest in the land and just think rezoning would be a good idea wait until the next iteration of the local area plan is being written (approx every 5-6 years) and make a submission explaining why it should be rezoned. Bear in mind this would annoy the arse off the owner because this type of rezoning would seriously devalue the land!

-AS

Thanks for your reply.

The land is actually owned by the council at the moment, so the approach would be two pronged, to convince the council to give some of the site back to the community and also rezone for community use.
Just looking for direction in terms of best way of approaching this, either through local political representation or direct to council ( and who within council would be best to approach)

Sorry if I wasn't clear with first post..

Poor Uncle Tom

You could contact the Director of Services in the Planning Department and discuss it with them. They would likely help you out and if they are in favour with what you want to do they would handle the rezoning issue as well, advertising their intention to rezone the land and presenting this at a councillors monthly meeting and putting your case for rezoning to them.

Drift

If you have an active local councillor who is on your side it would be really helpful in this case. - Make sure it's a good, hard-working local representative though, not one who's in it to be a yes-man, expenses gatherer!!!

Then, as Poor Uncle Tom says try to get a meeting with the Director of Services for planning and explain your case - bring the councillor along - or better still get them to arrange it.

One thing though - the DoS for planning won't have any power in terms of actually giving you the land so you need your councillor to find out who has the power to do that and get working on your behalf.

-AS

thanks very much for your replies and help !