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The Government's new fast track planning bill for strategic infrastructure has been published.
The Government's new fast track planning bill for strategic infrastructure has been published.
The bill allows developers of certain projects to apply directly for permission to An Bord Pleanála. The board will make a determination as to whether a project is one of strategic infrastructure, and will then accept planning applications accompanied by an environmental impact statement.
The bill also provides for a specialised planning consent procedure for major electricity transmission lines. Planning approvals for such lines will now come from An Bord Pleanála.
The bill specifies the type of projects the new Strategic Infrastructure Division of An Bord Pleanála will consider for planning purposes. These include installations for the onshore extraction of petroleum or natural gas, natural gas pipelines and installations for …
The bill allows developers of certain projects to apply directly for permission to An Bord Pleanála. The board will make a determination as to whether a project is one of strategic infrastructure, and will then accept planning applications accompanied by an environmental impact statement.
The bill also provides for a specialised planning consent procedure for major electricity transmission lines. Planning approvals for such lines will now come from An Bord Pleanála.
The bill specifies the type of projects the new Strategic Infrastructure Division of An Bord Pleanála will consider for planning purposes. These include installations for the onshore extraction of petroleum or natural gas, natural gas pipelines and installations for underground and surface storage of gas. Other energy projects include wind farms of more then 50 turbines, and major hydro-electric projects.
Under transport infrastructure, the division will consider applications for airports, harbour or port installations and railways.
Among the enviornmental projects the division will consider are waste incincerators or landfill installations for hazardous and non-hazardous waste, sewage treatment plants, dams and projects to combat coastal erosion.
Employers' group IBEC welcomed the bill, but said it would have limited impact unless the Minister for Justice brought forward new laws to speed up the process of dealing with legal challenges to planning approvals.
'Some objectors have been lodging spurious and exaggerated claims and measures are needed to eliminate these,' said IBEC director of enterprise Brendan Butler.
An Taisce said issues such as incineration and landfill were of serious concern to local communities. It said the bill would limit their ability to have legitimate concerns represented within the planning process.