The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has announced he has received the approval of the Government to the drafting of the General Scheme of a Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill to amend the Planning Acts.

The primary aim of this Bill will be to ensure a greater coherence between the National spatial Strategy, Regional Planning Guidelines, development plans and local area plans, particularly where the zoning of land is concerned.

It will also bring greater transparency into the process of zoning land and should help to secure a better return from investment on infrastructure under the National Development Plan and sectoral capital programmes.

-- Advertisement --

The implementation of key areas of national policy such as the National Spatial Strategy, the National Development Plan, the White Paper on Energy and the Climate Change Strategy is dependent on an efficient and integrated planning process.

At a more local level, modes of transport, the way homes and places of work are powered, the quality of local community and recreational facilities, the provision of educational facilities and the delivery of high quality sustainable infrastructure, are also dependent on a quality and effective development planning and management system.

"The Bill help to reduce the need for central government intervention in the local government development plan process and will strengthen the local mandate by clarifying how planning authorities can and should better align their local policies and priorities with sound planning principles and with regional and national guidance," said Minister Gormley.

(JM)