39% back fast-track planning

Almost four out of 10 people approve of fast-track planning, according to the Irish Times/MRBI opinion poll.

The fast-tracking is being provided in new legislation which will give the Government the power to make orders designating sites as Strategic Development Zones, which would curtail the rights of groups such as residents associations and environmental groups.

Under the new rules, objections will be allowed only on the overall scheme and not to subsequent planning applications.

News that 39 per cent prefer an automatic system will be welcomed by the Government as substantial objections could have been expected.

However, the poll was conducted on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week before the Bacon report and the Government's response had been published.

As such, it is very much an initial reaction.

Under the plan, proposed by economist Dr Peter Bacon in his latest report on house prices, local authorities will prepare a planning scheme for each SDZ. Only after it is adopted by councillors would third parties be able to appeal to An Bord Plenala. But if a planning scheme is approved by the board, all subsequent applications which conform with it would be fire-proofed against further objections or appeals.

It also provides for penalties for developers who do not make planning applications or who fail to act on a permission.

It has been suggested that Stepaside, where an action plan for some 3,500 homes has been held up for some time, could be one of the first SDZs.