Under section 247 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 a person who has an interest in land and who intends to make a planning application to the planning authority may with the agreement of the planning authority concerned, which shall not be unreasonably withheld, enter into pre-application consultations in regard to the proposed development. Section 247 also provides that a planning authority is required to keep a written record of such pre-consultation meetings.
My Department recently issued for public consultation draft development management guidelines for planning authorities, which are a step-by-step guide to all stages of the planning application process, beginning with pre-application consultations. These guidelines advise that informal advice provided over the phone, by e-mail or at planning clinics provides a valuable service to the public. They also state, however, that where there is a discussion of a specific development on a specific site, there is a requirement, in accordance with section 247, to keep a written record of the discussion and to keep a copy of that record with the documents relating to any subsequent planning application.
I am not aware of any problems arising in regard to the implementation of this section. I am happy, however, that the draft guidelines should assist all planning authorities in establishing proper systems to manage pre-application discussions.
