Court procedures ‘will speed up planning delays’

NEW High Court procedures to speed up inordinate and expensive delays in planning cases will soon be introduced, Environment Minister Dick Roche indicated yesterday.

Mr Roche said the measure, combined with the Government’s Strategic Infrastructure Bill, would greatly speed up the roll-out of major infrastructure projects.

The bill, which was finally published yesterday, aims to create a new division of An Bord Pleanála tasked only with infrastructure developments of State importance.