Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 November 2010
29 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the consideration he has given to the geographical inconsistency in the percentage of planning applications overturned on appeal to An Bord Pleanála, for example 59.5% of appeals in Donegal were overturned while only 12% of appeals in the Longford local area were reversed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44392/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraI assume the Question refers to information contained in An Bord Pleanála's 2009 Annual Report, which shows that the percentage of planning authority decisions overturned on appeal in Donegal was 59.5%, while the comparable percentage in Longford was 48%.
Planning authorities are of course independent statutory bodies, with democratically elected councils and their own management structures to carry out their statutory duties. Under planning legislation, planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála, in making decisions on planning applications, must consider the proper planning and sustainable development of the area, having regard to the provisions of the development plan, any submissions or observations received, and relevant Ministerial or Government policies, including any guidelines issued by the Department. My Department has issued a large number of statutory planning guidelines to planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála in order to improve the quality of, and promote consistency in, decisions on planning applications.
The fact that the Board may make a different decision to a planning authority in a particular case is not necessarily an indication that the planning authority decision is incorrect. Planning decisions are based on a balanced judgment of a wide range of policies — economic, environmental and social. Different judgment outcomes depend on the range of policies considered, their interpretation in the particular context of the application and the weighting given to them.
