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.