Mayo deputies need to ensure planning changes are rolled out soon

by Auld Stock

THE government is set to make major alterations to the Planning Act.

The sooner the better.

Local council members have no say whatsoever in the planning process.

There was a time when councillors had a major input into planning applications, big and small.

Indeed planning applications were the first item on the agenda of council meetings.

Not any more.

The reality is members of councils, elected by public vote, have no say in planning matters.

A situation of which our current government and previous governments ought to be ashamed.

Councillors are now totally left in the dark when it comes to planning.

So much for local democracy.

The current Planning Act leaves itself open to a number of abuses. Those abuses were exposed in a recent RTÉ documentary.

Ivana Bacik, leader of the Labour Party, told the Dáil she knew of a case where a developer was asked to pay €500,000 in exchange for the withdrawal of an appeal to An Bord Pleanála.

Extraordinary.

There are lengthy delays in the granting of planning applications.

Flimsy objections are holding up applications for major developments, not in my backyard and that kind of rubbish.

Snobbery also plays a role in many objections.

Did you ever hear the likes of it, a pound looking down on a penny.

There is an onus on our Mayo Dáil deputies to make their presence felt when the planning revamp comes up for discussion.

The people of Mayo are watching and waiting.