Call for commission for validation of planning objections
The members of Roscommon County Council accepted a motion at a recent meeting calling on the Minister for Housing and Local Government,to establish a Commission for the Validation of Planning Objections.
They said the commission should be independent of the Department and chaired by a retired High Court Judge / Senior Counsel and that the Commission would be responsible for the validation and scrutiny of objections to large scale projects at local and national level.
The motion which was made by Cllr. Michael Frain (Boyle electoral area) said that the commission would examine these objections thoroughly and would scrutinise the bona fides of the objection and of the objectors and this would eliminate delays and would discourage vexatious and spurious objections by third parties with personal agendas.
“Measures do need to be taken because it’s too easy to object to planning applications many times on spurious and vexatious grounds,” said Cllr John Keogh.
“I’ve seen in the last number of years, the absolutely appalling behaviour of serious objectors to housing to enrich themselves and that should be addressed robustly. In the same time, we have to respect people who object if there is merit in that, and while I support Cllr Frain in proposing to address the delays in the planning system, I just wonder how it would be achieved.”
He said he knows Minister for Housing James Browne is looking at issues in relation to this, and he also said “we do need to see the fee for submitting objections reviewed, to ensure that only those who have legitimate basis to do so would be interested in putting in their applications".
“Also, if a person puts forwards an objection and submits their fee and it falls in their favour, they should be entitled to get reimbursed,” said Cllr Keogh.
Cllr Emer Kelly said that Lough Funshinagh is one example of a project being delayed for years and years by people from other parts of the country.
“I’d like to support Cllr Frain in this, and I think there needs to be an overhaul of the planning in the country, in every aspect,” she said.
Cllr Tony Ward also supported the Frain motion while saying that people also have a right to make a submission against a development.
“At the same time, there is a different cohort of people who is not from the area, has no ties from the area and don’t mind for the sake of €20 to make an objection,” he said. “If you make a submission and are proved to be wrong, you should be held to account for holding up a development for three or six or nine months. They should be hit with financial loss.”
Cllr Laurence Fallon said that “some of us has suffered bad because of objections down through the years”.
“The only thing is to make it costly on the serial objectors because it’s scandalous the way our legal system is set up,” said Cllr Fallon. “Serial objectors can make a fairly decent living going to the court on a regular basis. The cost of objection needs to increase dramatically. If we make decisions here, the council becomes responsible for the cost, if it’s deemed to be not accurate, and the same should apply for the serial objector or the objector in general.”
It was decided to circulate the motion to other local authorities, and include about objectors location and relation to the objection.
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