Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 8 Nov 2000

Vol. 525 No. 3

Written Answers. - Urban Renewal Schemes.

P. J. Sheehan

Question:

105 Mr. Sheehan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the reason he refuses to accept appeals from county councils under the town renewal scheme 2000; and the criteria used by his Department officials who made the recommendations in the towns of Bantry and Skibbereen, County Cork. [24221/00]

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Molloy)

The Town Renewal Act, 2000, made detailed provision for the operation of the town renewal scheme and in particular provided that county councils would exercise an independent proactive role in the selection of towns and the selection of sites and the preparation of the town renewal plans themselves. It is appropriate that county councils who are in the best position to engage in the type of cross-sectoral consultation with relevant local interests which is required under the scheme, carry out this role.

In doing so they were assisted by the detailed guidelines issued to them; these set out the purposes and aims of the schemes, the criteria to be used in selecting towns for which plans are to be prepared, and advice on the approach to be followed in preparing their plans, including selecting sites for designation. County councils were advised that the extent of designation must necessarily be limited and well targeted and that only sites that clearly fulfilled the objectives of the plans should be designated. The award of incentives can only be justified where it can be shown that they will assist in overcoming identifiable barriers to development.

Town renewal proposals prepared and submitted by Cork County Council were then subjected to detailed assessment by an expert advisory panel which I established. The member panel comprises individuals with a broad range of relevant expertise in urban planning, architecture, conservation, etc. Two officials from my Department were members of the panel including the chairperson, who is my Department's principal planning adviser.

The role of the expert advisory panel on town renewal set up by me was to assess the county council's proposals and recommend sites for designation on the basis of the plans submitted by the county council; the panel was confined to examining the sites recommended by the county council by reference to the criteria contained in the guidelines.

In the course of their examination of the plans, the panel sought clarification from county councils in relation to various issues where this was considered necessary. The expert advisory panel exercised an independent role in assessing the plans submitted and making recommendations on the sites to be designated. The recommendations made by the panel were accepted in full and that is the basis on which designations are now being implemented.

The sites selected for designation by the county council, examined by the expert panels and subsequently approved for designation, followed a very detailed, structured and well thought out process. Therefore, I do not consider that an appeals system is necessary, feasible or practicable; my priority now is to ensure that the town renewal scheme is implemented effectively to ensure that the desired objectives are achieved.