Re: Re: European Environment Agency cites Dublin as a worst case scenario of urban planning

This whole scenario is something that I have given some considerable thought to. I met Frank McDonald on one occasion and his views about anything changing in relation to one-off housing urban sprawl etc. was totally black. It was quite depressing talking to him really. If Irish people are not going to change people who feel strongly about these issues are forced with either the option of emigrating or putting up with it. I’ve struck a balance – I compartmentallise it and stop worrying about it and a couple of times a year I go walking in Devon & Cornwall and see how things might have been.
On a positive note there are some signs of changes in the Irish physce (wrong spelling) Could anyone imagine t20 years ago that a smoking ban would have been accepted with such little furore. It is only 8 years ago when I first came home that people on C.I.E. buses would light up beside the no-smoking sign. I went up to the driver to complain one day and he was smoking too.
On building sites most Contractors are acutely aware of Health & Safey Legislation and I have frequently witnessed foremen or H&S officers frequently women bawling out labourers for not having a helmet or a high vis vest on – again could that level of compliance have been imagined in 1970.
There are signs of change in relation to one off houses – the Planners are getting more ingenious at coming up with excuses to refuse that Councillors can’t argue with them on. Sightlines, percolation areas, landscape plans and technical aspects that Councillors can’t understand are being used. It is bizarre in any case that they have anything to do with looking at individual applications as that is supposed to be an Executive function. We are blessed with having a 3rd party appeals system – I know personally of at least 4 awful mega developments in rural areas that would have happened except that someone stuck their head up and appealed to An Bord Pleanála.
Finally the poster who mentioned the E.U. is I think spot on. There are already many directives that can be used as sticks to beat poor proposals. On the other side of the argument it is frustrating on occasion when you get a lot of nimbys and banannas objecting to perfectly good schemes. They always seem to be the most adept at coming up with innovative strategies to stop good developments.