The National Spatial Strategy (NSS) is fast becoming "a devalued currency...sacrificed on the altar of political expediency", according to the president of the Irish Planning Institute.
Addressing the institute's annual conference in Mullingar yesterday, Mr Iain Douglas said the planning agenda was being driven by short-termism, which was "the complete antithesis of what planning should be about".
"The Government is clearly equivocating in its acceptance of the NSS through the overtly political gerrymandering of decentralisation... and through the [recently published] guidelines on rural housing.
"The lack of overall vision in planning is well exemplified by the ongoing investment in rural towns and villages of water and sewerage infrastructure, which is subsequently negated by the free-for-all for housing in the countryside."
Mr Douglas said the abuse of Section 140 motions in Kerry to secure planning permission for one-off houses in rural areas suggested that the councillors involved did not recognise that "with power also comes responsibility".
What was happening in Kerry "would lead one to question whether those elected members have any cognisance of planning for the common good rather than simply vote-catching at the expense of the environment".
According to Mr Douglas, it was "quite obvious" the trust that should exist between councillors and planners had "completely broken down" in Kerry and, to a lesser extent, in other counties where rural planning was contentious.
He said "urgent measures" needed to be taken to restore good working relationships because planning was part of a political process aimed at balancing public and private interests and resolving conflicting demands for development.
"I would argue that it is at this very time and under these very conditions that planners and planning can prove their worth, and it is now that we should emphasise the importance of having a vision for the future," Mr Douglas said.
"The planner's role is becoming more demanding than at any time in the past. It now requires increased design, synthesis, and managerial and administrative skills in order to support and guide the public planning process during all its phases."
The institute's president told his colleagues that their mediation skills would become increasingly important in the future.
"Ultimately, good planning is about quality decision-making and effective working relationships.
"Through good planning, developments should and do enhance the environment in which they are located, improving quality of life - whether such improvements are social, cultural, economic or environmental."
Mr Niall Cussen, a former president of the institute and leading planner involved in preparing the NSS and the new rural housing guidelines, agreed that planners should become "the mediators in this increasingly polarised debate".
He cited Cork County Council's rural housing design guide as an example for other local authorities to follow because it showed that a consensus could be reached on the issue between councillors, officials and the wider public..
However Mr Cussen said there was a need for more "evidence-based policy", particularly in identifying the key drivers behind the phenomenon of one-off rural housing and mapping the level of development activity.
Emphasising the need for an "upgrade" in the design of rural housing, he said it would be up to each local authority to adapt the new guidelines to its own area.
