State’s planning veto under threat

The state is facing a landmark legal action that could overturn its right to intervene in the local planning process and veto county development plans. The action, which is due to come before the High Court in the coming months, will test if the Minister for the Environment has the right to overturn a county development plan and impose his will on local planners. The judicial review is described by legal and property sources as one of the most significant planning actions to be taken in the past decade. If successful, it could significantly reduce the right of the state to override local councils’ planning decisions. It will also have serious implications for the national spatial strategy and government regional development strategies, senior legal sources believe.

The Sunday Business Post