Public must have right of appeal on planning matters - Alliance

12.56.32pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 1st Sep 2006

Carrickfergus Alliance Councillor, Stewart Dickson

Alliance Spokesperson, Stewart Dickson, has said members of the public must be given the right to appeal planning decisions. His comments relate to planning provisions outlined within the Review of Public Administration for Northern Ireland.

The Carrickfergus Councillor stated: "It is disgraceful that members of the public cannot appeal planning decisions, yet developers can.

"Government must build measures into any future legislation which will provide third party rights of appeal on planning matters. We must make the planning system for Northern Ireland a fairer one, to ensure that the balance is not weighted in favour of developers.

"Currently the public have no right of appeal on this issue, therefore a very one sided planning system exists, and it is one which very much favours developers.

"Obviously, the third party planning appeals process must be managed to ensure that a trigger point is put in place so that any appeal which is lodged must have strong local support.

"The only other planning system in the world which is similar that that of the UK is New Zealand's. There, they allow third party planning appeals and this system works extremely effectively, therefore the implementation of such measure here would greatly improve the planning process and make it more accountable."

ENDS