Planning laws are to be significantly tightened in order to eliminate sprawl and unsustainable development around the country.
Under draft plans announced today, the ability to grant retention for major unauthorised developments or developments in sensitive areas will be eliminated.
Minister for the Environment John Gormley says his aim is to improve the environmental sustainability of the planning laws.
According to Minister Gormley, he has received Cabinet approval to amend the planning acts to make them effective, efficient and integrated.
The problem he has identified is that while Ireland has a National Spatial Strategy and regional planning guidelines, county development plans and local area plans have failed to abide by them.
This has led to the inappropriate scale, pattern and phasing of development that has forced the minister to intervene and block councillor plans.
Under his proposed changes, councils will have to adhere to, rather than have regard to, national planning policy.
In line with a European Court of Justice ruling this month, the minister also intends on removing the ability to grant retention for unauthorised developments that would otherwise have been subject to Environmental Impact Assessment.
This means eliminating retention for major unauthorised developments or developments in sensitive areas.
While there are many other elements to the draft proposals, the significant limiting of councillor power is likely to prove highly controversial.
