Gormley does u-turn on local government reform

Minister for the Environment John Gormley is "doing a u-turn" on local government reform according to Labour's Cllr Keith Martin following the Green Party Minister's announcement that he is hand over more powers to officials in relation to land zonings under the new planning Bill.

 

Under the new Bill councillors will not be allowed to rezone land if this conflicts with central government plans such as the National Spatial Strategy and the National Development Plan.  The Bill will also stop councillors from rezoning land for housing against the advice of county managers and planners.

 

According to the Labour councillor this hands "a veto on zoning over to unelected officials and begins the erosion on one of the councillors most important functions as a democratically elected and democratically accountable representatives.

 

"The Minister is currently conducting a reform of local government which he has promised will return power to elected councillors and yet now we see him unveiling new plans to remove us from zoning decisions.  Its disgraceful, the Minister is continuing the erosion of local democracy by removing more and more powers from citizens by limiting the role of councillors.

 

The Minister has always had the power to intervene where his Department feels zoning is not suitable and he has done so very recently in Castlebar under Section 31 of the current planning act.  This power is an adequate tool for the job and he does not need to hand a veto over to unelected officials in these matters.  Officials are there to advise under the current planning laws and that's the way it should be, councillors should make the decisions based on consideration of the advice from officials but should not be bound by such advice.

 

There are a lot of good proposals under the new planning act, such as provision to stop large developers from applying retrospectively for permission for unauthorised developments but the Minister already has a role overseeing zoning decisions under Section 31 of the 2000 Planning Act and there is no need for him to further meddle in local government affairs than absolutely necessary.

 

I would urge the Minister instead to look at the planning issues in relation to the Tara Motorway, the Rossport Refinery and the proposal to mine for gold using cyanide here in Mayo.  I will be bringing a motion before Westport Town Council on this issue and would urge all of Mayo's TDs and Senators to oppose this provision of the new bill.

 

086 0691182