An Bord Pleanála, Ireland’s national planning appeals body, has firmly denied implementing any policy change regarding telecommunications infrastructure, despite contradictory statements from one of its own board members during a recent investigation.
According to The Irish Examiner, the statement follows the conclusion of a two-year investigation led by senior counsel Lorna Lynch, which examined decision-making patterns within the planning authority. Lynch’s investigation identified what she termed an “undesirable statistical anomaly” in how two specific board members regularly overturned inspector recommendations to refuse permission for telecommunications masts.
The controversy centers on comments made by one board member who told investigators that a “change in policy emphasis” had encouraged the approval of telecommunications masts. This statement directly contradicts the board’s official position that it does not formulate policy but rather implements existing planning guidelines.
A spokesperson for An Bord Pleanála emphasized that the organization’s role is to adjudicate planning appeals based on established national planning frameworks, not to create new policies. “The board operates within the parameters of national planning legislation and policy. It does not develop policy independently,” the spokesperson clarified.
The Lynch investigation has raised questions about consistency in decision-making at Ireland’s highest planning authority. Planning experts have expressed concern about the apparent disconnect between inspector recommendations and final decisions in telecommunications infrastructure cases.
The Department of Housing, which oversees planning matters, has not yet commented on whether it will take any action regarding the investigation’s findings. Industry observers note that telecommunications infrastructure remains a contentious planning issue across Ireland, with local communities often opposing mast installations while national policy emphasizes improved connectivity.