Planning

An Bord Pleanála’s controversial fast-track unit ‘dissolved’

The Department of Housing has granted An Bord Pleanála permission to shut down its Strategic Housing Division

The Strategic Housing Division unit has been dissolved despite the planning authority still having a significant backlog of applications that are yet to be decided

An Bord Pleanála has dissolved its Strategic Housing Division, the unit within the planning body that oversaw the controversial fast-track housing scheme.

In 2017, the division was set up to process Strategic Housing Development (SHD) applications. The SHD system was devised to help speed up housing construction. It allowed developers to apply straight to An Bord Pleanála with large-scale applications and avoid county council planning systems.

Over the past six years, the majority of housing ...