Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 4 February 2021
82. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he plans to extend the strategic housing development planning process deadline beyond its current expiry date of February 2022; and the preparations he has put in place to restore or reform the planning process post-February 2022. [6303/21]
View answerThe Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016 (the Act) introduced new streamlined arrangements to enable planning applications for strategic housing developments (SHDs) of 100 housing units or more, or student accommodation or shared accommodation developments of 200 bed spaces or more, to be made directly to An Bord Pleanála (the Board) for determination.
The Programme for Government commits to not extending the SHD arrangements beyond their legislative expiry date of end December 2021, which has now been extended to 25 February 2022 arising from the Covid-related shutdown of the planning system for 8 weeks during the period March to May 2020, which extended all planning timelines by 8 weeks. The process for winding up the SHD arrangements and their replacement by possible new arrangements will be considered by my Department over the coming months.
