New Co Meath IPAS centre needs planning permission - council

 Meath County Council has ruled that the applicant behind a proposed accommodation centre for international protection applicants in Kells, Co Meath, will be required to apply for planning permission. The local authority has decided that reconfiguring the industrial unit in Kells Business Park into residential accommodation is not an exempted development. Therefore, full planning permission will have to be sought and granted before the accommodation centre could get the green light. In a statement, a council spokesperson said: "On 11th February 2025, Meath County Council, in accordance with the Planning and Development Act 2000-2023, declared the proposed development is not exempted development and therefore is a development requiring planning permission. It comes after the Department of Integration confirmed that it had received an offer regarding the establishment of an International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centre in Kells Business Park.

Read the full article at RTE

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Scoping report into An Bord Pleanála governance

 A scoping investigation into governance at An Bord Pleanála has found there were no sufficient grounds to refer matters to the Minister for Housing to determine if there was "stated misbehaviour". Senior Council Lorna Lynch was tasked in January 2023 with carrying out an inquiry into six governance areas, which involved reviewing 175 case files and interviewing 17 relevant people. These included both past and current board members and employees. In a statement this evening the chairperson of An Bord Pleanála, Peter Mullan, said he has received legal advice not to publish the full report but believes it is in the public interest to publish a summary of the main findings. He said the scope of the report was "not to make final findings as to whether there was stated misbehaviour on the part of a board member". Mr Mullan said Ms Lynch had to assess whether there were breaches of the board's Code of Conduct, "or other acts or omissions that were not of a minor or trivial nature that were sufficient to refer the matter to the Minister for consideration as to whether they amounted to stated misbehaviour".

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An Bord Pleanála takes ‘serious issue’ with judge’s ruling over windfarm refusal

 An Bord Pleanála wants to appeal a “very significant” High Court decision in which a judge accused it of effectively “sabotaging” the State’s compliance with climate commitments.Lawyers for the planning authority are also asking Mr Justice Richard Humphreys to revisit his findings concerning its duty of candour to the court in the legal challenge brought by windfarm developer Coolglass. In his ruling earlier this month, the judge overturned An Bord Pleanála’s decision to refuse to grant planning permission to Coolglass for its Co Laois windfarm proposal. He proposed that the planning application should be reconsidered by the board. The 13-turbine project is proposed in townlands for which the local development plan prohibits windfarms. A development plan sets out a local council’s objectives for particular areas in its vicinity. An Bord Pleanála has the power not to follow aspects of a development plan depending on the circumstances of a case. Mr Justice Humphreys held that the board has since late 2022 adopted a “fixed practice of supine submission” to local development bans on renewable energy and failed to act in a manner compliant, as far as practicable, with national climate objectives.

Read the full article @ The Irish Independent

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Plans lodged with An Bord Pleanala for second section of transformative public transport corridor in Galway City

 Plans have been lodged with An Bord Pleanala for the second and final section of a transformative public transport corridor in Galway City. Galway City Council has already secured permission for the first section of the Cross City Link, stretching from College Road towards UHG in Newcastle. It aims to transform public transport and active travel – making them more viable by offering more bus lanes, cycle lanes and pedestrian facilities. Now an application has been lodged for the final section that stretches from Dublin road at Moneenageisha to Doughiska. At this point it’s estimated that the works will be completed around 2028. Councillor Alan Cheevers says an assurance has been given that new traffic lights at Merlin Park will be a priority in the Dublin Road section.

Read the full article @ The Connaught Tribune 

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Plans to build eight-storey tower at Woollen Mills restaurant stopped by An Bord Pleanala

 Plans to build an eight-storey mixed use development at the site of the Woollen Mills restaurant on Ormond Quay have been stopped by An Bord Pleanala. The plans, which have been in the pipeline for several years, had been refused by Dublin City Council and were appealed to ABP in 2023. Now the Bord has given its decision and has serious concerns about the impact it would have on the Dublin city skyline. The proposal planned for eight storeys at the site at the back of the Woollen Mills on Liffey Street Lower. It would have included the restaurant and a seven apartment building. The development has been refused permission on appeal to An Bord Pleanala. The concerns that cause the refusal primarily related to the scale and density of the development and its effect on protected structures.

Read the full article at www.dublinlive.ie

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Waterford councillors seek judicial review of An Bord Pleanála

 A group of Waterford councillors are initiating judicial review proceedings against An Bord Pleanála. This was revealed by Labour Councillor Thomas Phelan at the February Dungarvan/Lismore District meeting of Waterford City and County Council held yesterday (Monday). Councillor Phelan has received support from Independent Councillor Joe O'Riordan and Sinn Féin Councillor Kate O'Mahoney. Speaking to WLR, Councillor Phelan said he is "convinced" An Bord Pleanála is "overstepping the boundaries of what legislation allows them to do"."They are stepping on the toes of councillors and taking powers away which legislation sets out for us," he claimed. "It's about time councillors stand up and say 'you have certain rights, we have certain rights'." Councillor Phelan explained the issue revolves around Section 254 of planning legislation. He claims this allows An Bord Pleanála "to overturn councillors when they reject planning applications for telecommunications infrastructure".

Read the full article here.

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Dundrum apartments decision a symptom of broken planning system

 

News that An Bord Pleanála had turned down a proposed development of 881 apartments on the site of the old Dundrum shopping centre follows an all-too-familiar pattern. A lengthy and complicated process has a project shot down due to objections and the decision of planners that rules had been contravened. Initial plans to redevelop this site go back as far as 2004, with the latest decision relating to an application process that started towards the end of 2021.

I am not qualified to give an opinion on the reasons the scheme was turned down, which ranged from height to the nature and scale of the residential plans, to flood planning and transport concerns and a view that it did not fit within planning guidelines. Reading the decision gives an insight into the complexity of factors involved.

But what is clear when we stand back is that this is another example of the planning and development system not acting in the wider national interest. There is, after all, a housing crisis. Here is a site that is ideally suited to development. It is in an urban area where, on the basis of all the national and local plans, development is desirable. National guidelines underline the vital goal of more “compact” living – developing sites near city and town centres and transport links, necessary to achieve climate goals. This site is 50m from a Luas stop, beside a host of bus services and near schools, shops and other services.

Read the full article at the Irish Times

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