The Green Party has announced new guidelines to prevent the over-zoning of land.

Speaking from the party’s annual Think-In in Athlone, Environment Minister John Gormley revealed the level of over-rezoning carried out across Irish towns and villages in the past number of years.

"In some areas enough land has been rezoned to provide houses for population levels not expected until 2075," he said.

"In some cases, areas three times the size of an existing town have already been rezoned."

Mr Gormley said the planning context for the post-NAMA period will be set by the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009 and new procedures in this legislation are aimed at "achieving much more focused" land-use strategies.

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"These include ensuring the provision of land zoned for residential and other development is closely tied to national and regional policies and grounded in an evidence base of population projections and other needs."

The Green Leader said a robust planning structure will ensure that "the mistakes of the past are not repeated" because it will no longer be possible to provide vast tracts of zoned land without reference to population demand and provision of essential services.

"More focused land-use strategies will also result in a more efficient use of taxpayers’ money by allowing the State to target investment in essential infrastructure and services more accurately," he said.

"The current version of the legislation will result, over time, in improved City and County Development Plans and limit the inappropriate zoning of land.

"But we will now strengthen our planning system, which is taking place simultaneously with the financial measures that are dealing with the fall-out of previous planning failures."

(PR/KMcA)