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Longford Town Council Planning Department

WELCOME TO LONGFORD TOWN COUNCIL WEBSITE

About The Council

COUNCIL OVERVIEW

In both the Longford Urban Area and the whole County, the County Council as distinct from the Town Council is responsible for and provides services in respect of Libraries, Motor Tax, Fire Stations, Civil Defence, National and Regional Roads, Building Control Act,1990, Emergency Planning, and most aspects of Pollution Control and Complex Environmental issues.
The following range of services are provided for members of the public in the Longford urban area only by the Town Council under the following 8 Programme Groups which are standard to all Local Authorities:

1. Housing and Building:

Assessment of housing needs; provision of housing to meet those needs either directly
or through social housing initiatives; collecting rents; housing management and
maintenance services; assistance e.g. tenant purchase scheme; enforcing certain
housing standards and registration of private rented sector and accommodation of
travellers.

2. Road Transportation and Safety:

Upkeep and maintenance of urban roads; public lighting; traffic management; Paid Parking;
carparks; road safety promotion.

3. Water Supply and Sewerage:

Contribution to operation and maintenance of public water supply; operation of
urban sewerage scheme; the provision of services to households, commercial and .
industrial users.

4. Development Incentives and Controls:

Preparation and making of urban development plans; deciding on planning applications; enforcement action; urban renewal; promotional activities in the areas of tourism and industrial development and other community activity.

5. Environmental Protection:

Preparation of waste management plans; monitoring and enforcement of pollution controls; deciding on licensing applications; collection and disposal of waste and refuse; operation and maintenance of burial grounds; dangerous buildings; water safety; street cleaning and litter prevention.

6. Recreation and Amenity:

Operation and maintenance of a range of amenities such as parks, open spaces, community centres, museums; recreation centres and such like.

7. Agriculture, Education, Health and Welfare:

Some minor involvement in services of a social/educational nature e.g. provision of school meals.
Health and welfare are no longer major functions of local authorities.

8. Miscellaneous Services

Rate collection; malicious injury claims; operation of markets; dog and litter control and general administration.
 

1.3 Financing of Services

The expenditure of Longford Town Council on provision of services can be classified under two headings:

1. Revenue (Current) Expenditure: on day-to-day provision of services can be classified under two headings:

  • Government grants and subsidies
  • Commercial rates
  • Income from goods and services e.g. housing rents, service charges, planning fees etc.

2. Capital Expenditure: on creating assets e.g. house building, urban road improvement works etc. The main sources of funding for this expenditure are:

  • Capital grants from the Exchequer
  • Capital receipts e.g. Sale of houses and lands
  • Borrowing
     

1.4 Regulations governing the operation of Local Authorities

Local Authorities operate subject to statute law and specific codes. Their operations are regulated by:

  • EU Directives
  • National Legislation
  • Local Legislation e.g. Bye-Laws
  • Adopted policies of the Council

In addition, a wide range of rules, procedures and guidelines are used by the
Local Authority in making its decisions, determinations and recommendations.
A list of these items is published in a separate manual prepared in
accordance with Section 16 of The Freedom of Information Act, 1997.

1.5 Accountability

The Accounts of the Local Authority are subject to audit by the Local Government Auditor who is employed by the Department of the Environment and Local Government.  Local Authorities are, also, subject to investigation by the Ombudsman.

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