The Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Mr Dempsey, undertook to take action over planning notices, which, according to Mr Fintan Coogan (FG), could in some instances hardly be read even with binoculars.
Several Opposition members complained about the inadequacy of the present arrangements for the display of on-site planning application notices. Mr Coogan called for the introduction of a colour-coded system to distinguish between various applications lodged in respect of the same site. He also wanted to ensure that such notices would be of a sufficient size and be displayed in a manner that would enable them to be reasonably viewed from the roadway.
He believed the current regulations had failed so far and that an extraordinary amount of abuse had taken place. Within the last fortnight he had attempted to read from the roadside a notice that had been erected in the area where he lived. "I could not decipher it. I genuinely thought I'd have to get a pair of binoculars, and even then I would say the print was so small that it would nearly be invisible."
Arguing for colour coding of notices to distinguish clearly original applications from subsequent ones, Mr Coogan said this was particularly important as the rate of third-party appeal was to be restricted in future to those who had lodged initial objections. At present, affected persons might not realise from notices that substantial changes were being sought by planning permission applicants. It might be even better if there were a requirement to leave the original notice in place and have any subsequent one placed beside it.
Ms Kathleen O'Meara (Lab) said the current notice display requirements were in general observed only in a minimum way. The Minister said while he did not disagree with what had been said about the notice system, the best way to deal with the loopholes was by way of new regulations, which could deal with the issues of size and colour.
One case, reported in the newspapers, concerned the granting of planning permission by a local authority which was later appealed to An Bord Pleanala. A similar notice was erected on the same site relating to another application while the appeal was in train. The appeal was eventually decided and the affected person was delighted with the outcome, only to discover that the local authority had granted permission on the second application and that the appeal period had elapsed. Clearly, things needed to be looked at, Mr Dempsey said.
He also wondered whether there was some merit in having local authorities themselves provide the display signs and fill in the details, including the application reference number. Consideration could be given to asking the applicant to bear the relatively small cost involved and also to having people living in the immediate area notified of an application by leaflet.