Compulsory purchase orders

Sir, – In Michael McDowell’s article “There is simply no urban planning in this country” (Opinion & Analysis, January 17th), he refers to waiting times to complete compulsory purchase orders (CPOs). The article may give the impression that the delay happens at city council level. With all CPO applications, along with applications for designation of derelict sites, if an objection is received, it must go before An Bord Pleanála for decision. Currently the waiting list in ABP is now years. No wonder we are making such little planning progress when we live in an increasingly centralised system that requires such decisions to be made by unaccountable bodies established by Government.

Local government powers are diminishing by the year. Ireland now has the most centralised system within the EU, as confirmed by the Council of Europe’s recent report. It’s time for Leinster House to democratise and devolve our system. The interference by Ministers in our local government development plan played a big part in diminishing planning standards, whittling down the size and mix of apartments and introduced co-living schemes with room sizes as low as 12 square metres. This act further commodified land; all of which has added to our housing crisis. We need to have a national conversation about how we use and protect our land, which is our scarcest national resource. I think it’s time to re-examine and legally test the Kenny Report. – Yours, etc,

MARY FREEHILL,

Harold’s Cross,

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Dublin 6.