An Bord Pleanála overturned planning permission for one-off rural housing in 37 per cent of cases in 2002, its annual report showed today.
The Board reversed planning permission in those cases on grounds relating to public health or pollution risks, traffic hazards, visual amenity and local development plans.
The total number of cases determined by the Board in 2002 reached almost 5,900 and was, by a significant margin, the highest output ever achieved by the Board, representing a 15 per cent increase on the 2001 output which was itself a record.
However, the intake of new cases in 2002 showed a decline of 16 per cent which An Bord Pleanála says reflected the downturn in economic growth and also the disruption in the planning system arising from the changeover to the 2000 Act, affecting applications made after the March 11th, 2002.
The percentage of cases determined within the 18-week statutory objective period increased steadily during the year, from 26 per cent in January to 61 per cent by December 2002.
This year to date, the rate of intake of cases is running on a par with last year and the number of cases on hand has stabilised at a level commensurate with achieving the Board's strategic target of determining 90 per cent of cases within the statutory objective period.
There was a significant drop in the number of large 30-plus housing schemes appealed in 2002. There were 235 in 2002 compared to 392 in 2001.
The percentage of Local Authority decisions reversed on appeal increased from 29 per cent in 2001 to 33 per cent in 2002.