In a report published today (19 August 2024), the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) found that South Dublin County Council has effective systems and procedures in place to deliver its planning functions, with evidence of best practice in many respects.
This is the first time that the systems and procedures used by South Dublin County Council’s planning department have been reviewed by the OPR. The report considers the Council’s performance across a range of functions and makes six recommendations, designed to ensure the department’s ongoing success in the face of current and future additional demands.
Commenting on the review, Planning Regulator, Niall Cussen said:
“South Dublin County Council manages and delivers a significant programme of work across the statutory development management, enforcement and forward planning functions. Despite the pressures it faces, the planning department is delivering on its responsibilities in a highly effective manner. The approach taken to the organisation of the department and an eagerness to seek new and innovative ways to deliver services, provides an overall example for the wider local authority planning sector. In addition, the planning department has deployed its considerable project management and delivery skills to assist the Council’s wider work. This is supporting the activation of key development areas and delivery of major residential, mixed-use development and other infrastructural projects.”
The review highlights examples of best practice by South Dublin County Council in relation to documentation of planning department procedures and the management of data.
Commenting on the Council’s approach in these areas, Niall Cussen said:
“Having clearly established and documented systems and procedures is vital for the effective operation of the department’s key statutory planning functions and ensures a consistent, high quality service to the public. The planning department’s comprehensive suite of procedures provides a robust tool for staff to understand internal processes, planning legislation and guidance and to inform decision-making and statutory processes. In addition, the preparation and implementation of innovative tools to enable land activation and housing delivery as well as development plan monitoring, demonstrates the planning department’s commitment to continuous improvement and best practice.”
While these are positive findings, the resourcing of the planning department must remain an ongoing priority for the Council.
Highlighting the necessity for resources, Niall Cussen said:
“There are a range of challenges that the Council must respond to in the coming years, including ensuring adequate resourcing is in place to implement its innovative monitoring and evaluation framework for development plan policies and objectives. A well-resourced planning department is critical to determining whether planning is delivering its intended outcome for communities across South Dublin. Resourcing is dependent on wider national actions, including promoting an uptake in planning education and training new talent.”
Concluding, Mr Cussen noted:
“Throughout the review process, it was clear that South Dublin County Council’s planning department benefits from clear leadership, a structured corporate approach and the commitment and talent of individual staff. These factors have facilitated the development and implementation of robust systems and procedures as well as innovative practice. My team will work with the Council to reinforce, and enhance, its many strengths by implementing the various recommendations set out in this report.”
Notes to editors
Section 31AS of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) gives the OPR the discretion to review the systems and procedures used by local authorities in performing their planning functions.
An OPR review is improvement-focused and intended as a developmental resource for the planning system, with recommendations arising from the process designed to enhance the delivery of services to the public.
The OPR applies a broad rating in respect of the systems and procedures across the key operational processes in planning service delivery. The ratings are defined as follows:
- Satisfactory: where it has been demonstrated that the systems and procedures are adequate to effectively deliver the statutory function on an ongoing basis and to meet key business objectives.
- Unsatisfactory: insufficient evidence has been provided that appropriate systems and procedures are in place, thereby creating an unacceptable weakness with regard to the ability to adequately deliver the statutory function and to meet key business objectives.
The ratings and recommendations are provided to encourage the ongoing improvement of robust procedures in relation to statutory functions and collectively evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the delivery of the local authorities planning services.