DART+ Order

[berneyarms]

Originally Posted by ACustomer

@berneyarms: Ah the good old dysfunctional planning system strikes again. The NTA (and whoever else) should have a portfolio of projects and draft business cases so that when the circumstances are right, the process can start quickly. Final Government approval should follow quickly if there has been proper planning done in advance.

You imply that the Govt business case approval must wait for the planning process and judicial review process to finish. This is surely the wrong sequence.

As for the railway order and formal planning permission, we need a radical re-think: Do we need such a convoluted process when developments are largely within existing railway property? You don't need planning permission to erect new signal posts, but you do need it if you want to erect OHLE. Why?

The approval process for capital projects by government has changed following the children’s’ hospital costs spiralling.

The government has to formally approve the business case before planning applications (this has happened for DART+ West) but also again once planning permission is granted in order to ensure that the costs as at that stage (which is when tenders would be agreed) aren’t getting out of control.

[ACustomer]

Originally Posted by berneyarms

The approval process for capital projects by government has changed following the children’s’ hospital costs spiralling.

The government has to formally approve the business case before planning applications (this has happened for DART+ West) but also again once planning permission is granted in order to ensure that the costs as at that stage (which is when tenders would be agreed) aren’t getting out of control.

Thanks, for a very interesting response.

Transport project are subjected to huge extra analysis and delay because the health sector has screwed up in its cost control (as they usually do). I am reminded of an earlier rail cost-overrun saga. The mini-CTC project ran into huge cost and technical problems, but was eventually rescued when Irish Rail brought it largely in-house. Also the National Roads Authority eventually brought projects to completion on time and within budget. All of this was because there were some good project managers in place.
It seems to me that endless reviews by external bodies with not so much in the way of project management skills will solve nothing: imagine the delays when the NTA, DoT, Irish Rail and everyone lese have to sign off on everything and every change gets endless reviewed ....