A chara, – The kite flown by Government that planning applications for housing estates of more than 150 houses would go straight to An Bord Pleanála, thus ignoring local authorities, would represent a retrograde step ("Councils to be bypassed for planning permissions", July 2nd).
There is no evidence that local authorities are delaying the granting of planning permission for large estates when those estates are in line with local area plans. Indeed, the issue of planning permission is not a significant factor as to why we do not have sufficient housing supply. There are far more significant questions, such as lack of access to credit for developers, Central Bank rules on mortgages, and shortfalls in infrastructure in particular areas.
In the supply of public housing, the major delays are with the Department of Planning and Housing, which continues to delay releasing funds to local authorities to build, renovate or compulsorily purchase housing. To give one example in Wexford, several months ago councillors agreed on a €3 million loan to build social housing. We continue to await Department of Planning and Housing approval for that loan.
Local area plans and county development plans are agreed after extensive processes of consultation with local communities and with government agencies and allow for democratic input into what should be built in our communities, combined with good planning advice. The idea that such plans should simply be bypassed is extremely disappointing.
This is not about councillors making the decisions. This is about local planners making decisions on the basis of plans that have been extensively considered. There must exist in local communities an opportunity to make submissions on such large-scale developments. People who live in an area can point out issues about which planners and others may not be aware.
While there is no evidence of significant numbers of planning applications around the country for developments of 150-plus houses, what additional resources are proposed for An Bord Pleanála if it is to take on such an initiative. What guarantees are there that this will not result in significant delays to planning appeals, which will surely defeat the exercise?
Finally, this is yet another example of removing local authority powers. I am disappointed that my party’s spokesperson in this area, Barry Cowen, appears from reports to be colluding in this activity, especially as he is doing so without any consultation with the party’s councillors, whom I am quite certain are overwhelmingly against this proposal.
There has been debate on these pages about new names and functions for government departments. In light of this approach, could I suggest that Simon Coveney’s new department be renamed the “Department of Planning, Housing and Centralising Government”? – Is mise,
Cllr MALCOLM BYRNE ,
(Fianna Fáil),
Gorey, Co Wexford.