Cork senator calls for crack down on ‘serial objectors’

A Cork senator opened up about concerns relating to so-called “serial objectors” ahead of a review examining current planning laws.

Senator Tim Lombard stressed that the proposed Planning and Development Bill 2022 must include strict criteria on parties that appeal projects granted by local authorities.

Concerns raised included fears that the current system may lead to substantial delays in the delivery of essential infrastructure.

Mr Lombard, Fine Gael’s Seanad spokesperson on agriculture, food, forestry and marine, described serial objecting as “an abuse of the current planning and development code”.

“These serial objectors often live hundreds of miles away, outside the county and even outside the province from where the original planning decision has been granted.

“I have seen this in my own constituency where many essential agricultural development projects have been delayed due to parties appealing a local authority decision to An Bord Pleanála,” he added.

He described the legal process that can follow: 

“Progress is further hampered when these objectors seek a judicial review of a board decision, with both state projects and private commercial developments becoming bogged down in a cumbersome and multi-faceted legal process which also puts significant strain on our court services”.

Mr Lombard said a “balance needs to be struck between people’s rights to object to planning that will have an impact on them or their community versus these serial objectors who have their own agenda”.

The Cork South West senator spoke of the knock-on impact of what he described as “spurious objections”.

“People with no association or affiliation with an area are hampering development and livelihoods throughout the country with spurious objections to anything and everything from large infrastructural projects to one-off rural housing and even small-scale agricultural extensions.

“It makes no sense that, for example, someone living in Dublin would object to planning for an extension to a milking parlour in County Cork, which has occurred.”

“We need robust legislation from the Housing Minister to ensure the planning authority can view and act on these spurious objections so that unnecessary delays are removed from the process.

“Recommendations the committee [Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage] made are currently being considered by the minister and his department, and may feed into the final bill which will then proceed through the Oireachtas.”