Fianna Fail up to land rezoning tricks still....

national | miscellaneous | news report Thursday December 12, 2002 00:14 by Phuq Hedd

Irish Independent story by Gordon Deegan

The local planning process is obviously a joke as it is easily subverted by politicians we didn't elect. Fianna Fail (and Fianna Gael) have demonstrated a greater ability to turn Section 4 rezonings into cash than most. You'd think with all the tribunals people would want the process that places such power in the hands of the corruptible to be changed. The Indo has another story which raises questions.

As in many other planning decisions the councillors are able to override the development plans which have been drawn up by the professionals hired by the council.

So, the council spends money on hiring professional planners to draw up long-term plans for the sustainable and rational development of an area. Then the councillors throw away that advice and opt to rezone wherever there's a doubt. Note that in this story, as in many others, the wishes of local residents are completely overridden and ignored.

Seems like a double insult: take the resident's money and spend it on the figleaf of respectable planning and then go ahead and make decisions in the interests of wealth land holders.

What sort of clowns elect these clowns?