The planning process must not be short circuited
Following the announcement that the government is to replace the Strategic Housing Development (SHD) process with streamlined arrangements for large-scale residential developments (LSRDs), Social Democrats Housing Spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan said:
“It is vitally important that the Government learns lessons from the failed Strategic Housing Development process. These so-called fast-track planning measures, which were introduced at the behest of property industry lobbyists, led to a series of delays and flawed planning permissions that were ultimately quashed by the courts.
“It is welcome that the SHD process is to be abolished – but it is vital that the new LSRD process delivers both good quality housing and well-planned sustainable communities.
“Many of the mistakes made under the SHD process occurred as planners had insufficient time and resources to examine the detail of large and complex planning applications. In order to succeed, the new LSRD process must be accompanied by the requisite planning resources at a local authority level to ensure the detail of proposed developments can be properly examined.
“We need well-planned sustainable communities. If mistakes are made as part of the planning process, not only can it lead to substantial delays – it can also lead to poorly designed communities, and take decades to retrofit amenities and infrastructure to plug deficits. The value of good planning should not be underestimated. The planning process must not be short circuited.”
13 July, 2021
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