No conflict of interest, says Bord Planála

AN Bord Pleanála insisted yesterday there was no conflict of interest in hiring outside planning consultants on contract work.

This followed the revelation that private consultants who successfully objected to a development on behalf of a client also did contract work for An Bord Pleanála.

The particular case involved a Donegal couple who were granted planning permission for a single-story house in a rural part of the county.

A Dublin planning consultancy firm then drew up the appeal for an objector who had a holiday home in the area, and this was upheld by an Bord Pleanála.

But this particular private planning consultancy company is also employed on a fee-per-case basis by an Bord Pleanála.

The company is one of a number or private firms hired to draw up recommendations on whether or not developments should be allowed or rejected, an Bord Pleanála confirmed yesterday.

“It became necessary to hire outside consultants because of the huge volume of work generated by the Celtic Tiger building boom - otherwise there would have been a huge backlog,” the spokesman said.

Asked if private planners would not have an advantage in lodging appeals because they know how An Bord Pleanála works, their spokesman said:

“No, any qualified planner knows what the regulations are, there is not particular expertise attached to it.”

The Board also rejected suggestions there could be any conflict of interest for these contract planners because there are strict safeguards in place.

These include:

Prohibiting private firms adjudicating on their own proposals.

Prohibiting private firms taking an appeal case in which they had any involvement.

Making it compulsory for contracted firms or individuals to divulge any private interest they have in a particular development when they are hired.

Another safeguard is that private firms must include a signed, final declaration that they had no private interest in a case when they submit their final report, an Bord Pleanála’s spokesman said.

A final safeguard is that the actual decision on any appeal is made by the Board once the private consultants submit their reports.

An Bord Pleanála said yesterday that the private firm who drew up the appeal in the Donegal case had no involvement in the outcome of the case. A staff inspector had investigated the case and recommended that it be turned down.

The Board upheld his recommendation and turned down the development on a number of grounds, including that it would be unduly prominent in a highly scenic area and would seriously injure the visual amenities.