Sir, - Nobody could seriously dispute the assertion of the county planning officer, at the recent county council meeting, that South Tipperary County Council has the most liberal planning policies in the country.
House-building is occurring on practically every road, by-road and boreen in the county. This one-off, single-dwelling type housing is now the predominant type of development in the rural parts of the county. Our councillors seem to be quite happy with this state of affairs. The only dissent comes from those who consider the present scheme too restrictive. If this view is to prevail, we may as well dispense with the planning system altogether.
Nobody, of curse, raised the environmental implications of this kind of development. Single dwellings with inadequate sewage systems have already been indicted as a significant factor in the deterioration of ground water supplies. A landscape pockmarked with single dwellings, often of quite hideous design, is hardly attractive for those of us who live in the countryside or for visitors to our county. Also, the cost of supplying services such as refuse collection is much greater than the cost of supplying them to more compact settlements.
The current planning policy is unsustainable. For this reason, South Tipperary Association of An Taisce welcomes the suggesting of the county engineer, Ned O'Keefe, that a discussion document on the planning process be published. Surely it is possible for the planning officials, elected representatives, and concerned citizens of a small community to devise a plan that would balance the genuine housing needs of those who wish to live in their own rural community with the protection of the environment? If we do not, then one thing is certain, the present planning system, if continued, will lead to further environmental and aesthetic deterioration.
Finally, it is worth considering the state of our heritage in South Tipperary. By and large, it is in fairly good shape. In our countryside, we have a diverse and varied landscape, an unpolluted water supply and well-designed farm houses built from local raw materials in appropriate settings. Our town planners had a sense of balance and proportion which resulted in elegant streetscapes and beautiful town houses, many of which are architectural gems. What is to be the contribution of the present generation to this wonderful heritage? Ribbon development in our towns, a degraded landscape, and a polluted water supply We should consider these issues as we enter the new century. - Yours, etc., Peter Hennessy,
Chairman, South Tipperary Branch of An Taisce, Monour, Galbally, Tipperary.