Irishplanningnews.ie

The Irish Planning Institute’s National Planning Conference 2014 is to take place in Limerick in the Strand Hotel, on the 10th and 11th April 2014. The conference is entitled ’50 Years of Planning: Time to lead changed and plan for growth’. The conference aims to facilitate discussion around changing role of planning and will reflect on the past 50 years of planning since the commencement of the Republic’s 1963 Local Government (Planning & Development) Act, while also looking forward to the future of planning and the profession in Ireland and abroad.
Contact the IPI for further information www.irishplanninginstitute.ie

An Bord Pleanala have refused permission to demolish an abattoir and construct an Equestrian Tourism Facility in the grounds of Turnings House outside Straffan in County Kildare. The proposal involved an equestrian tourism building incorporating a language school for foreign students with overnight accommodation for up to 60 students and staff, along with 40 stables and associated equestrian works.

This was a second attempt by the applicants who had previously been refused permission by the Board for reasons relating to flooding, assimilative capacity of a nearby river and unsustainable form of development at this location given the constraints of the surrounding area. An in-between application has been refused by the Council. The proposal also included road improvements, 28 car parking spaces, three coach parking spaces, construction of flood berms, and associated works.

Kildare County Council refused permission on the grounds Read the rest of this entry »

It has generally been held that varying a condition of a planning permission is not allowable on the basis that it does not constitute development in its own right. Therefore, in order to get around this issue, the practice has been to propose some minor development (usually works) and seek to vary the condition of planning as part of the application. However, a recent decision by An Bord Pleanala means that there are circumstances where a planning application to vary a condition alone may be sufficient.

The case involves an application to Dun Laoghaire County Council seeking variation of a condition of a planning permission (previously granted by An Bord Pleanala) to remove the restrictions on the occupancy, leasing, sale or other disposal of the existing Commissioners of Irish Lights office building at Harbour Road, Co. Dublin. Due to changing circumstances there has been a significant reduction in manpower and as a consequence there is spare capacity in the building for parties other than the Commissioners of Irish Lights.

The Council granted permission which included a condition which stated that there was no restriction on the ground floor office use of the building; the office use did not have to relate to the Commissioners of Irish Lights. This decision was then appealed to An Bord Pleanala by a third party.

The appellants planning consultant argued that Read the rest of this entry »

The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government has issued a public notice stating that it intends to review and update the Development Management Guidelines for Planning Authorities 2007.

The Department will consider whether changes should be made to the planning application process in order to improve efficiency while continuing to provide for appropriate and necessary public participation and environmental assessment.

The Department will also consider whether further changes should be made to the exempted development provisions of the Regulations, specifically whether it is appropriate to exempt further development from the requirement to obtain planning permission.

Comments/submissions are invited by Friday 14th March 2014.