Our Team

Frances O’Kelly is an associate at ROD.

A town planner and social scientist, Frances has over 14 years’ experience in the planning and development sector. She is passionate about contributing to the effective management of the environment while also maximising sustainable development opportunities.

Since joining ROD in 2016, Frances has worked on a range of projects, leading the planning and environmental requirements from feasibility/constraints through to construction and post-planning consent. She has successfully delivered a range of Environmental Impact Assessment Reports (EIARs), navigated significant and complex strategic infrastructure projects and led all stages in the Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) process. She works closely with clients and design teams in delivering sustainable design solutions, including the management of public consultation processes.

Frances has prepared numerous Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA), assisting in the formulation of more sustainable planning policies. Key among these was the preparation of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for the Waterford North Quays Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) Planning Scheme. This involved working closely with Waterford City and County Council on the SDZ planning scheme while also working on the Appropriate Assessment (AA) and Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) and subsequently leading all aspects of the Part 8 planning applications for the development of the supporting SDZ infrastructure.

As ROD’s Sustainability Lead, Frances is responsible for delivering ROD’s Environmental Management System (EMS).