Counting the cost of urban sprawl

AS well as a drop in the price of many goods, the recession has other benefits – the ravaged Irish landscape which has been the victim of a huge amount of destruction since the mid-1990’s is getting a break.

Housing, shopping centres and new roads that came with the economic boom all took their toll on the environment. But, a fall of around 50% in planning applications in 2009, tells the story of a dramatic slowdown in construction. Cork County Council, for example, had an average of 1,067 applications per month, in 2006, compared with just 426 this year.

That is a startling change when contrasted with the situation, in the recent past, when many towns and villages expanded beyond recognition, creating the new Ireland.