Madam, - Following lobbying by CORI and landowners, Dublin City Council has depressingly decided to reinstate private housing as a permissible type of development for the city's already brutally depleted stock of long-term institutional lands (The Irish Times, January 31st).
Dublin's councillors lack the vision to see that the requirement they zone land in the interests of "proper planning and sustainable development" is always served by zoning land for proper/sustainable uses. It is never served by zoning land in the vested interests of its owners if, as here, that does not result in a proper/sustainable use.
The focus for necessary new housing should be docklands and other designated development areas, not scarce playing pitches. This should be obvious to a child. In selling out the public interest the country's most progressive local authority has lost all credibility as a force against short-term and ad hoc private interests. - Yours, etc.,
MICHAEL SMITH, St Remy de Provence, France.