De-democratising the Irish planning system

ABSTRACT

This paper examines the practices deployed to de-democratise elements of the Irish planning system. It does so through scrutinizing the processes by which a new streamlined planning procedure for large scale residential developments was institutionalized. The paper investigates how a development lobby group successfully prompted the institutionalization of this streamlined procedure by momentarily capturing the policy formulation agenda surrounding a housing crisis. It demonstrates how this was achieved by defining problems regarding the democratic character of the planning system and accruing agency through solution specification and resonance with the ideologies and rationalities of pertinent political and senior civil servant decision makers. The paper undertakes this analysis by situating a discourse analytical approach within the Multiple Streams Framework. In doing so, the paper provides an original contribution to academic scholarship through novelty of theoretical application on a disquieting aspect of neoliberalism in a planning context that as yet has received limited attention.

KEYWORDS:

• De-democratisation
• planning
• multiple streams framework
• discourse analysis
• neoliberalism
• housing studies

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 Strategic infrastructure is development which is deemed to be of strategic economic or social importance to the State or a region. It also includes development which is deemed to contribute significantly to the fulfilment of any of the objectives of Ireland’s National Planning Framework 2018–2040 or any regional spatial and economic strategy for an area, or which would have a significant effect on the area of more than one planning authority. Planning applications for certain large-scale private development and which An Bord Pleanála certifies as strategic infrastructure development are now made directly to An Bord Pleanála. Prior to the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act 2006 coming into effect, such planning applications were made to the local planning authority (i.e. city or county council) in which the proposal was situated, with the associated rights of third-party appeal. The role of the local planning authority in assessing such strategic infrastructure development was thereby removed by way of the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act 2006. Likewise, the right of third-party appeal on the decision of a local planning authority was removed by way of the 2006 Act.

2 Subsequently the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government from June 2017.

3 House prices in Dublin in the first year of the operation of the Fast Track process rose by 7.2%, while the growth rate at the national level was higher at 10.4% (CSO, 2018).