An Taisce has called on the Government to curtail councillors' powers that allow them to force through planning permissions in the face of planners' advice that applications be refused.
The call comes in the wake of more than 60 Section 140 motions before Kerry County Council last month directing the county manager to grant planning to developments likely to be refused.
An Taisce has called on the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Mr Cullen, to amend the Local Government Act 2001 to curtail councillors tabling the controversial Section 140 motions.
An Taisce claims that the Act should be amended to ensure that such motions are not facilitated where the reasons put forward by planners for refusal are related to traffic hazard, public health and the impact on protected landscapes including Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) or Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Natural Heritage Areas (NHAs).
The move by An Taisce yesterday prompted an angry response from Cllr Michael Healy Rae (Ind), of Kerry County Council, who said it was absolutely unfair that a very small minority should want councillors to have their powers taken away on 140 motions. He said: "If An Taisce is so bloody worried about the planning process in Kerry, why don't they get off the fence and put themselves before the people here?"
The call by An Taisce on the Minister to change the system relating to Section 140 motions is contained in its submission to Government on its plans to overhaul the rules relating to one-off housing.
Launched in March by Mr Cullen, the draft guidelines on rural housing are expected to make it easier to secure planning for one-off rural housing.
However, in its submission, An Taisce says the "examination of the guidelines reveals a lack of appreciation of the cumulative impacts of the rural housing on the environment".
An Taisce express concern that the guidelines as presented "are unenforceable as there is no recognition that additional staff will be needed by councils if the objectives of the guidelines are to be implemented".
An Taisce said the "guidelines will have significant far-reaching consequences and should undergo a Strategic Environmental Assessment".
