Concerns have been raised at the number of planning applications being deemed invalid in County Tipperary.
Councillor John Fitzgerald says the numbers being returned to applicants by planning officials is considerable higher than in neighbouring counties.
Speaking on Tipp Today earlier he highlighted figures from one week in August:
“25 applications were received and 12 were invalidated, so that’s just short of 50%.
“In the last month, 106 applications were received and 38 were invalidated, and that’s about 38% of all the applications received.
“That compares with neighbouring counties like Waterford City and County – in the last month 82 applications were received and only 6 were invalidated, which is about 7% of the applications. Kilkenny has a similar figure.”
Councillor Fitzgerald says these figures are something he would have concerns about:
“What I’m trying to get at is the very frivolous [reasons]. Small little things like ‘the notice wasn’t visible when we went out’ because there was a bit of foliage on it. Or ‘it was on a gate that swung back’ at the moment that they happened to be there.
“Sometimes as well, when you go in the second time [with an application], something that had gone through the first time can be found invalid on the second go at it.
“And that’s very frustrating because you’re kind of back to square one straight away.”
