New Regulations impose time frame to ensure public access to planning applications

national | environment | press release Wednesday June 03, 2020 21:31 by foie - Friends of the Irish Environment

Press Release - Friends of the Irish Environment 31st May 2020

Councils must publish planning documents online within 5 days
Regulations impose time frame to ensure public access to planning applications

Local authorities are now obliged to put online planning applications within 5 days of their acceptance.

A Statutory Instrument published May 26, 2020 and signed by Eoghan Murphy, Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, requires that Local Authorities must ‘publish the application and all documentation accompanying the application on its internet website within five days’.

PRESS RELEASE
FRIENDS OF THE IRISH ENVIRONMENT
SUNDAY 31 MAY 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELASE

Councils must publish planning documents online within 5 days
Regulations impose time frame to ensure public access to planning applications

Local authorities are now obliged to put online planning applications within 5 days of their acceptance.

A Statutory Instrument published May 26, 2020 and signed by Eoghan Murphy, Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, requires that Local Authorities must ‘publish the application and all documentation accompanying the application on its internet website within five days’.

The requirement also includes any ‘document relating to a planning application at any time after receipt by it of that application.’ There is an exception for ‘exceptional circumstances’.

The requirement has been welcomed by Friends of the Irish Environment [FIE], who have made an increasing number of complaints to planning authorities on behalf of residents who are unable to challenge decisions because of the failure of authorities to publish documents in a timely manner. The public has only 5 weeks to comment on a planning application, a time frame reduced from 8 weeks by the previous Government.

‘While warmly welcoming any intervention by the Minister to reinforce the public’s right to participate in planning and development, it is to be hoped that he also ensures that Local Authorities receive the funding necessary to do so. Local Authorities remain poorly resourced, especially for IT, inspections, and legal strength to ensure enforcement against powerful interests.’

‘The move is all the more welcome’, said Tony Lowes of FIE, ‘as public participation in planning will be critical as the impact of global warming increases and hard choices will have to be made.’
ENDS

Tony Lowes: 353 (0) 87 2176316
David Healy [Irish language]: 353 (0)87 6178852

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VIDEO : 60 seconds drone video of industrial extraction from July 12, 2019.
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Statutory Instrument 180 of 2020
https://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/legislations/hplgdoclaid250520_250520_121441.pdf

This Press Release
https://www.friendsoftheirishenvironment.org/press-releases/17810-councils-must-publish-planning-documents-online-within-5-day
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