Waterford councillors fear that rural families will be left divided by new planning regulations.
Waterford Council is currently forming the county development plan for the next five years, however it must tie in with the national planning framework, which seeks to limit rural development.
The Planning Regulator can reject the county plan and has done so already in Wexford, citing a need for people to live more in urban settings instead of rural ones.
Speaking at the April meeting of councillors, Tallow's James Tobin is furious with the regulator claiming the regulator wants to "kill rural Ireland":
"The one thing a farmer has is a bit of land, he has something to give to his children, this man wants only one person and that's the person who gets the farm to build. He wants to stop everybody else".
Ardmore-based Tom Cronin says farmers' children won't be able to build on the family land in the future and it would "split families":
"A farmer might have three or four kids and they would have to make a decision that only one can build on the farm and the others have to whistle off down to the local village - that's a non-runner".
Labour's Thomas Phelan is the chairman of the Council's planning committee, he says the latest regulations could decimate rural communities:
" I think we could be sleepwalking into a situation where rural Ireland could be decimated much more by unintentional planning decisions much more than by emigration."
He says there's a need to "tread carefully" and to consult more widely.
The public can view the plans in late June, however the regulator can send the plan back to councillors to redo.
Director of Planning Michael Quinn told councillors the plan needs to satisfy the public and the latest regulations:
"It is up to the council to approve the plan, and it is your plan, but equally the regulator has a role in directing us to change what is in the plan to comply with the national planning framework". Regulator responds
Responding to the councillors' comments, a spokesman said that the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) was established by the Oireachtas "not to set planning policy but to independently evaluate and assess statutory development and local area plans" to ensure that there is an "overall vision for the proper planning and sustainable development" for each county and locality.
"When evaluating draft plans, the OPR bases its recommendations on their adherence to national and regional planning policy including the National Planning Framework, Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy and the Planning Guidelines on Sustainable Rural Housing.
"The OPR seeks to ensure a broad consistency between development plans and these and many other planning guidelines that the elected members are obliged to apply in their consideration of future development plan policies," the spokesman added.
"The OPR seeks to work closely with all stakeholders including local authorities to enhance governance and oversight arrangements within the planning system, to ensure that the integrity of the system is upheld and that the system is viewed with confidence from a public perspective."
