Written answers

Thursday, 13 June 2019

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government

An Bord Pleanála Applications

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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235. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the difficulty in tracking strategic housing development planning applications including co-living proposals through An Bord Pleanála and its respective website; his plans to ensure information on planning applications is more easily accessible to the general public in order that local communities are informed regarding planning applications in their area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24699/19]

Photo of Eoghan MurphyEoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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The Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016 provides for streamlined arrangements to enable planning applications for strategic housing developments (SHD) to be made directly to An Bord Pleanála (the Board) for determination.  The Planning and Development (Strategic Housing Development) Regulations 2017 supplement the provisions in the 2016 Act and prescribe the detailed procedural and administrative matters relating to proposed SHD.

The new procedures relating to applications for SHD include provisions relating to public notification, site notice and public consultation of any such proposals.  In this regard, the applicant must (i) erect a site notice in a conspicuous position on the land in which it is proposed to carry out a SHD, (ii) publish a notice of a SHD proposal in one or more newspapers circulating in the area in which it is proposed to carry out a SHD, and (iii) make the application available for public viewing on a website set up for this purpose. Furthermore, a SHD application must also be available to view by members of the public in the offices of the Board and the relevant planning authority, while members of the public also have the opportunity of a 5-week public consultation period to submit any written observations on a proposed SHD to the Board before the Board makes a determination on the application.  

Additionally, the 2017 Regulations provide for the publication of a weekly list of applications received and applications determined or otherwise disposed of by the Board in relation to SHD cases. These weekly lists are available to view on the Board's website at www.pleanala.ie/.

I am satisfied that there are appropriate notification procedures in place to ensure that the public are informed of proposed SHD planning applications.

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