Planning and Development Bill

This bill, with its emphasis on sustainable development and evidence based planning is very much to be welcomed by the house. In particular, the provisions that provide for increased transparency and information in development plans and local area plans is a welcome step, as is the increased majority on the planning authority needed to make  material amendment or variations to those plans.

This bill addresses the thorny issue of the balance between planning and the market that manifests itself in the debate over the amount of land to be zoned for development. Excessive zoning leads to unsustainable development and weakens the capacity of the local authority to provide infrastructure, but equally a shortage of zoned land pushes up the cost of housing, and drives less well off house buyers into less than optimal locations.

What I mean by less than optimal locations are places far from population centres. My place of origin is, I’m proud to say, a rural location, and the protection of a sustainable rural way of life is a passion of mine. This way of life can only continue to exist if we can maintain population centres that support the essentials of living – shops, churches, post offices, even pubs! Section 24 of the Bill, which allows the wider application of development levies to support the broadband roll-out, flood relief, and both this section and section 25 assist school building.  In particular, I feel that we need to support rural schools, and ensure that we create a sustainable population to support student numbers, and thus teacher numbers and school viability. This bill, and the wider sustainable planning ethos that it supports is a welcome step forward in this regard.

Another element of the bill which is to be welcomed is the new focus on the reduction of greenhouse gases. Climate change based reform is often misunderstood, and it is easy for nay-sayers to sell the idea that reform is an urban agenda being forced on rural communities. Elements of this bill refute this argument, by giving local authorities a clear role in addressing climate change on a local level. Referring back to my earlier point about sustainable communities, the link between development and transport links is important and greater availability of public and shared transport is good for both rural communities and the fight against climate change. 

This ties into the welcome, if belated, recognition of the importance of the national Spatial Strategy and the necessity to pay real attention to its recommendations, rather than the lip service we have seen thus far. This is ensured by replacing the phrase “shall have regard to” to the much stronger “shall be consistent with.” The Minister courted controversy earlier in his term by overturning the county development plans of Mayo and Monaghan, and the new consultation procedure contained in the Bill will ensure that issues like this can be resolved in a affable manner and at an earlier stage of the process, without ignoring the fact that planning has national as well as local repercussions.

However, notwithstanding the many positive elements of the bill, I have some reservations about the provisions of s 28 of the bill, which reduces the quorum needed for some meetings of An Bord Pleanala. An Bord Pleanala has a hard-earned reputation for being an champion of planning excellence. On hearing that the quorum was to be reduced I was initially concerned, especially given that the rationale for the reduction was efficiency. I am glad to see that the Minister has again struck a balance, and the occasions when the quorum will be reduced seem to be subject to some control, and the decisions that are contentious and result in tied decisions can be resolved by the Board in a meeting with the traditional “triumvirate” present.

Overall, I welcome this bill as a step forward towards sustainable planning in our state. We face, in many areas, a threat of rural depopulation, of a shortage of employment due to lack of regard to spatial concerns and continuation of behaviour that damages our fragile envoirnment. This bill is a step towards addressing theses issues and as such, is to be very much welcomed.