Mr. Michael Kelleher:

There are a number of issues. The regulations have changed substantially over recent years. We have become very regulated, and very centrally regulated. Many powers, and even responsibility for policy, have been taken away from local authorities and given to central government. We are happy with plan-led development; that is no problem. We know where we are going - that is great - and we should be able to fund the infrastructure there. There has been a lack of investment in infrastructure in recent years. The most recent development plan, which was very restrictive, reduced the development cycle to six years and reduced the headroom to 25%. We were not looking ahead. We did not look at how we could plan out into the future. Infrastructural planning takes a long time before we have the pipes in the ground. We are not looking far enough ahead. The same thing is happening even in this current review.

Some local authorities are very good but the adoption of the regional spatial and economic strategies means that the development plans will nearly be pushed out to 2030 at this stage. We should be looking now at an interim measure. It should not be about the short term. We should be looking at a four- to five-year cycle because we are trying to bring in a ten-year cycle. Along with the infrastructure providers, the local authorities and the Government, we should be looking at how we can start the first phase of this, which involves bringing forward the infrastructure and more zoned land so that we are taking a step into the ten-year cycle. What is happening here is that we have become too constrictive with regard to zoning. What we were trying to do was, a bit like the car rolling off the assembly line, focus on on-time delivery. You cannot get on-time delivery when you have such a complex structure like planning and infrastructural development.

We now have plan-led development. We know how we want to develop the country. We should not be afraid to zone enough land because we know where we want development to take place. That gives time for everyone. The two-tier process means that we can see where development is going 15 or 20 years in advance.

That allows everyone to plan.