Sir, – The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) is an international professional body, whose objective is to advance planning for the benefit of the public.
As chairperson of the RTPI branch in Ireland, I wish to express its concerns at the extent and timeline of the recent reconfiguration in the membership of An Bord Pleanála (Frank McDonald, Home News, January 6th). Specifically, the branch is concerned about the potential impact such reconfiguration could have on the performance of the board as an organisation.
Board rotation and limited fixed terms are key features of the operation of An Bord Pleanála, and have served the public interest well over the years. However, the RTPI considers this needs to be balanced with the appropriate retention of experience and corporate knowledge. The recent retirement of the previous long-serving chairman, the forthcoming retirement of the chief officer and the non-renewal of the terms of a number of existing board members, including the deputy chairman, gives rise to a real concern that there may be a loss of corporate memory at board level and within the management structure. This has the potential to impact upon decision-making by the board, particularly on complex cases, including strategic infrastructure development, and could leave it more vulnerable to successful legal challenge.
The institute has written to Minister Phil Hogan on this matter, requesting that he takes these concerns into account in any appointments to An Bord Pleanála which he may make over the coming months. – Yours, etc,