Madam, - The news that the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has availed of his option to reject the Monaghan Development Plan pro bono publico, because of excessive rezoning in areas bereft of basic infrastructure, must be welcomed by all right-minded citizens and bodes well for a more coherent approach to planning in the future.
As far as I am aware, this is a first in recent decades and Mr Gormley is to be warmly congratulated on his visionary stance. I hope this courageous step will strike a body-blow at the developer-led planning decisions which have bedevilled the system for many years. Equally, those whose responsibility it is to make development plans should be forced to listen more attentively to the advice and recommendations of professional planners. Otherwise, they may see their plans rejected by the Minister.
Unfortunately, the legacy of the poor planning of the past is only too evident in some other counties, particularly Dublin and its commuter belt. Still, better late than never. - Yours, etc,
MARY MULDOON,
Castlebar Road,
Westport,
Co Mayo.