Sir, - As a planner and homeowner I am appalled by the Government's proposal on foot of Bacon to exempt residential extensions of up to 40 square metres from the planning process. This is a major increase on the 23-square-metre extension currently exempt. The proposed increase will damage residential areas. It will increase greatly the bulk and mass of structures and the possibility of overlooking, with no requirement to have proposals assessed by the planning authority, or no recourse to An Bord Pleanala for adversely effected neighbours.
Increasing the exempted area is justified not on planning grounds but by the need to free staff. This is a retrograde step. Alternative measures could have been looked at such as making the assessment of certain types of development a desktop exercise rather than requiring at least one or two time-consuming site visits, often to houses where access is not available due to security gates or residents at work.
In the interest of proper planning and development the Minister should reconsider this variation. - Yours, etc.,
M. Henchy, Booterstown, Co Dublin.