NAMA and the Planning System

Last night there was a most interesting discussion at the DIT Spatial Planning Graduate Network Annual Forum 2011 (http://www.dit.ie/sustainability/planning/) to which I was invited. The topic was Perspectives on NAMA and the Planning System. This forum consists mostly of DIT planning graduates concerned with planning and sustainable development.

There were interesting perspectives on the possible conflict between the need for long term sustainable development versus the operations of NAMA as an asset disposal agency seeking highest economic value. I can see both points of view. NAMA has a legal obligation to protect the taxpayer but there was a genuine concern among the professional planners present that 'good long term sustainable planning' needed to be the driving force behind recovery of the distressed assets or sites in question. There was much mention of 'ghost housing estates' which were also the result of 'developer led' policies as opposed to 'plan led' policies.

There appeared to a general consensus at the Forum that it was not too late to seek a reconfiguration of NAMA operations to have greater regard to the planning system. NAMA is two years in existence but has yet to appointed a professional planner but we understand that there are now plans to do so.

As an attempt to clarify the NAMA approach to the spatial planning process I suggested that the professional bodies incl Engineers Ireland together with the architects, planners, landscape architects and surveyors might formulate a Professional Body Submission to the NAMA Planning Advisory Committee. This was generally agreed to be a positive outcome to the discussion. There was also a suggestion that the Urban Forum representing all of the relevant professional bodies might be a suitable vehicle for the submission to NAMA.

Securing Our Energy

On Monday I was invited by Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) (http://www.seai.ie/) to a Seminar on Energy Security & Competitiveness in a Rapidly Changing World in the National Gallery of Ireland. It was chaired by Professor Owen Lewis CEO of SEAI and opened by Minister Pat Rabbitt Minister for Communications Energy and Natural Resources.

Much of what was said was thought provoking. It came across most powerfully that we are seriously at risk in terms of our security of energy supply. Our basket of sources in Ireland need to be as diversified and integrated as possible. We are still highly at risk from increasing world oil prices in a volatile political world.

Our energy security metrics illustrated by Katrina Polaski of SEAI are stark in terms of our dependence on imports. We need more sources and more means of storing our energy. The competitiveness of our energy supply is also a critical issue as is our clear need to respond to the challenges of climate change.

In terms of gas supply which fuels most of our power plants currently, Corrib was the only new well discovered in 35 years and it is taking 17 years to develop! In that 35 years we had 150 exploration wells and only one discovery at Corrib in 1996. We now have 15 licence applications for the next round of exploration.

Meanwhile we have to accelerate the development of our renewable resources onshore and offshore having regard to the economics involved and the need to move to a lower carbon future.

We need to manage our risks going forward with regard to maximising our Energy Resources to help drive national recovery. In his concluding remarks SEAI Chairman Brendan Halligan remarked on growing world energy demand particularly in the emerging countries. China'a economy doubles in size every 7 years. In terms of the overall theme of the seminar he called for a new Government White Paper on Energy and Enterprise. That's a call I would support.