Vol. 509 No. 6
412 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the plans, if any, he has to apply strategic development zone status to motorway proposals as provided for in the Planning Bill, to allow them to benefit from the streamlined planning process. [21320/99]
It is envisaged that strategic development zones as provided for in the Planning and Development Bill, 1999, would apply to mainly industrial or other employment generating development of strategic national importance. The concept of strategic development zones is to enable pre-planning to be carried out in relation to a particular site before individual proposals are identified. This is done by drawing up planning schemes which are subject to full public consultation and adoption by local authority members. Once a scheme is adopted the planning procedure for individual proposals which meet the criteria set down in the planning scheme is shortened. This concept would not offer any benefit in the case of motorway projects as carrying out a pre-planning procedure followed by an additional planning procedure in the case of a known project would not offer any savings in time. The SDZ approach could not also deal with issues such as compulsory land acquisition which are an integral part of major road projects.
It should be noted however that Part XIV of the Planning and Development Bill contains a number of initiatives aimed at streamlining the provision of public infrastructure, including motorways. For example, decisions on motorway schemes will in future be a matter for An Bord Pleanála which will have a statutory objective to decide on them within 18 weeks.
