Judge says integrity of planning process a ‘vital national interest’
A High Court judge has said the courts should never lose sight of the fact that the integrity of the planning process is a “vital national interest”. Bad planning decisions “sentence generations to live with the consequences” and, in interpreting the planning legislation, the courts should never lose sight of the overarching national interest in the integrity of the planning process, Mr Justice John Hedigan said. He made the remarks in a judgment yesterday rejecting an application by two builders aimed at requiring Clare County Council to grant them default permission for a proposed development of two houses on a site at Dough, Liscannor Road, Lahinch. Martin and Michael Ryan, developers based in Limerick city, had applied to the council in May 2007 for planning permission to demolish an existing house on the Dough site and construct two two-storey houses, plus car parking spaces.
