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RIAI president critical of local authority planning departments: Architect James Pike, president of the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland (RIAI), says that many local authority planning departments are "dysfunctional" and says this increases the potential for abuse and inconsistencies in the operation and management of the planning system.

In his inaugural address to RIAI members this week, he said the "enormous variation" between county councils has led to the highest percentage of complaints to the RIAI. He also criticised the failure of local authorities to properly co-ordinate the provision of infrastructure, such as water supply, with development planning.

"There are simply too many situations where lands zoned for development in development plans, or even in local area plans, where essential infrastructure is not in place for years," he said.

€130m Churchtown residential development appealed

An appeal has been lodged to An Bord Pleanála against a €130 million residential development in the grounds of Notre Dame school in Churchtown, Dublin 14. The appeal, by David Allen and others, is opposing planning permission granted to developer Michael Cotter's Park Developments to build 298 apartments on the seven-acre former sportsground site which it bought last year for €30 million. It says the main access point for cars is Churchtown Road Upper leading to Sweetmount Avenue, "a minor road already overburdened with traffic". They also say there's a lack of parking spaces attached to the development and a "high risk" posed to churchgoers at St Nahi's Church by the proposed new entrance onto Churchtown Road Upper.

Council rejects D16 scheme

Westover Developments Ltd has been refused permission by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council to knock two detached houses, Genazzano and Villa Maria, on Harold's Grange Road in Dublin 16 and build 25 five-bed three-storey terraced houses in five blocks, and 50 surface car-parking spaces.

Westover, whose directors are Barry Dardis and Brian Creaby, was turned down on the grounds that it provided insufficient details regarding whether there was a provision for 20 per cent social and affordable housing.