Call for more planners as permissions up by 26%

THE number of planning permissions granted for houses and apartments rose by 26% in the past year, according to new figures from the Central Statistics Office.

The year-on-year growth has prompted calls from the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) for an increase in the number of planners and greater streamlining of the system to deal with demands.

“The number of houses built annually has almost doubled to 80,000 in the past five years, but this is being slowed down by the planning process which needs tighter deadlines and a more streamlined appeals process,” CIF executive officer Conor O’Connell said.

However, the Department of the Environment rejected this claim and said record funding had been allocated to local authorities to hire more professional planners.

“It is not always possible to find professional planners but we are introducing a new online planning application system by the end of the year which should speed things up considerably,” a Department spokesman said.

The CSO figures released yesterday revealed planning permissions were granted for 25,966 houses and apartments in the second quarter of this year, compared to 20,604 in the same period in 2003. The breakdown between houses and apartments shows a jump in planning permissions granted for houses, but a 2.3% drop in the number granted for apartments. House permissions rose from 13,118 in the second quarter of last year to 18,653 in the second quarter.

For apartments, the figure fell from 7,484 to 7,313.

Controversial one-off houses accounted for a quarter of all new homes granted planning permission in the past year, most likely due to the relaxation in the regulations governing such houses, introduced by Environment Minister Martin Cullen last April.

An Taisce objected to the changes, claiming water and sewage systems in many rural areas could not cope with the extra capacity.

Meanwhile, the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) said it has submitted proposals to Mr Cullen on how the current planning permission system could be improved. “Some of our members have major projects delayed for six or seven years because of the planning process and being constantly asked to furnish further information on the last day before they are due decisions from local authorities,” CIF executive officer Conor O’Connell said.

A Department of the Environment spokesman said the Minister would consider the CIF proposals.