Power to overturn planning decisions to be abolished
The ambitious reform proposals, unveiled by Environment Minister Phil Hogan, plans to eliminate section 140 of the Local Government Act 2001.
This will ensure that councillors will no longer be allowed to overturn the decisions of planning officials. They will also no longer be permitted to direct the executive in respect of planning functions.
The step has been taken after evidence given to the Mahon tribunal regarding corruption among councillors in the planning process which has dogged the political system for decades.
Section 140 essentially allowed councillors to overturn planning decisions made by professional planners. As a result, in some counties, certain planning decisions became the source of widespread controversy and tribunal inquiries.
The Mahon tribunal examined planning corruption in the 1990s, and found a widespread system of payments to politicians and political donations to influence planning decisions.
Mr Hogan said the decision to remove such powers from councillors was crucial to planning reform. “I think we have seen enough problems in relation to planning as articulated by the Mahon tribunal. That power tended to be abused in a small way and I want to remove that possibility of councillors being able to do that.”
An Taisce said it welcomed the plan, but called on Mr Hogan to implement the Mahon report in full and to appoint an independent planning regulator.
The reform programme, which aims to save €420m over the next four years, also plans to delegate greater responsibility for certain functions in which local authorities are involved.
In the short term, the functions of councils will be strengthened in a number of areas, offering them an enhanced and clearer role in economic development and enterprise support. There will also be a devolution of specific functions from central level and delegation of greater authority or relaxation of specific central controls on local authorities.
Mr Hogan said the Government will look at ways at which it can devolve functions to local authorities.
“Every particular policy that the Government will implement or new service that they will bring about, the default position is that local government must be looked at initially to provide that service on the ground. So, right across government departments and agencies, we will be entering into devolution of function or a service level agreement.”
A new website which allows people to report complaints about road, lighting and environmental issues to their local authority is to be rolled out by the end of the year. Issues reported to www.fixyourstreet.ie will require the local authority to furnish a response within two working days.
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