Ms Anne Marie O'Connor:

Ms Kelly makes some good points, particularly on the updated CSO boundaries. With regard to trying to do this at a national scale, some things are better left to be decided at local level due to local circumstances and should involve local representatives and local communities. There is a very strong case for local communities themselves to have a role and an input in determining what they consider to be the core area of their settlement that should be consolidated and prioritised in future development. I would caution against becoming too prescriptive in a national planning framework. As long as it is very clear what the ambition is and the targets are strong enough, certain things are better decided at local level taking into account local circumstances and environments.