The full outline of the proposed Planning and Development Bill is available at the link below:
Among the main provisions in the Bill will be:
- Strengthened legal status for Ministerial guidelines: Ministerial guidelines and policy directives will be upgraded to ‘National Planning Policy Statements’ and ‘National Planning Policy Guidance’. These will be approved by Government. Alignment of other planning documents with these will be mandatory.
- Amended focus and lifespan of Local Development Plans: these will be extended from six years to ten years, with a review after Year 5. Plans will be more strategic in nature. They will give a strong sense of what is being planned for particularly areas before any planning applications emerge. This will help ensure that public engagement and major local debate is focused on the plan-making rather than planning application stage. Local Area Plans will be replaced by specific types of area-based plans to meet particular needs (Urban Area Plans; Priority Area Plans; Joint Area Plans; Strategic Development Zones/Urban Development Zones).
- Statutory mandatory timelines for all consent processes, including An Bord Pleanála (ABP) decisions, to bring certainty to the planning consent process: timelines are being introduced for appeals and consents applications made to ABP (including Strategic Infrastructure Developments). Where ABP fails to make decisions with these timelines, it will be subject to fines. The exact timelines will be included in the finalised Bill. It is intended that the timelines for ABP will be introduced on a phased basis, starting with those for Strategic Infrastructure Developments (including energy projects).
- Changes to Judicial Reviews (JRs) of planning decisions: there will be timelines for various steps in the Judicial Review process. ABP will be able to correct an error of fact or law in a planning decision and will be able to apply for a stay on the determination of JR proceedings whilst making such corrections. The Bill will bring clarity to the role of different parties in accessing justice. In the case of applications for JRs by an organisation, these will have to be taken by an individual or individuals.
- A re-structuring of An Bord Pleanála: the agency will be re-named An Coimisiún Pleanála and its decision-making and governance structures separated. It will consist of Planning Commissioners (consisting of a Chief Planning Commissioner and up to 14 full-time Planning Commissioners), who will replace the Chairperson and Board Member roles. A new Governing Executive (led by a Chief Executive) will be responsible for the organisation’s governance and organisation.
The draft Planning and Development Bill 2022, when enacted, will bring greater clarity, consistency and certainty to how planning decisions are made. It will make the planning system more coherent and user-friendly for the public and planning practitioners. Public participation, which is a hallmark of the current planning system, will remain a central component. These changes will enable appropriate development to be planned and executed with a degree of confidence and certainty about how and when a planning consent decision will be made. Where infrastructure such as housing is needed and is appropriate, it will happen with greater certainty and speed. These changes will provide greater policy certainty about the framework in which planning decisions are made.
It is intended that from a policy perspective, this review will result in:
- debate on the scale of housing requirements (in line with objectives of compact urban growth and environmental sustainability) happening at the plan-making rather than planning application stage. It will facilitate greater clarity and long-term visibility of planning outcomes.
- adequate account is taken of the needs of the future population of new and expanded communities, as well as the needs of existing communities; and
- appropriate account is taken of the nature of planning decisions, which require careful balancing of public policy, public participation and environmental issues. The Draft Planning and Development Bill will be published in January and progress to pre-legislative scrutiny and enactment in early 2023.
Summary provided by Brendan Buck, BPS Planning & Development Consultants LTD
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