There is still something of a clamour to remove PPS14, which has amounted to a moratorium on rural homes. It is undoubtedly desirable that rural families should be accommodated and there are strong arguments for relaxing the planning criteria, but there can be no going back to the danger of "bungalow blight".

During the recent housing boom, many farmers found unproductive land turned profitable when turned to a crop of housing sites. That led to a hysterical rush of applications by developers for sites out in the country and threatened to turn rural areas into urban sprawl. The PPS14 prohibition was too harsh, but something had to be done. Donegal allowed such impulsive building and spoiled the natural beauty of its western seashore by unbridled development.

In the North, this may be one instance were Minister Sammy Wilson's stubborn stance is founded in good sense. Of course there must be an attempt to get the balance right, but the idea of rural development taking some cohesive form has a valid currency. That said, the pattern of settlement must reflect Irish rural traditions, not the English home counties.

To break the current political deadlock, the parties must get around the table and find a compromise which would have protection of the environment and our rural heritage at the forefront of sensible and sensitive planning policies. This would acknowledge that the country is not just something pretty to look at but a place were people live and work.

Undoubtedly, the slowdown in the demand for new home building precipitated by the credit crunch will play a role in regulating the situation. With houses no longer as profitable as they were in the very recent past, it is likely that many of the 'quick buck' brigade will focus on something else.

But it is not enough just to ride out each crisis in planning for our future development needs. Who knows what demographic patterns the changes in the economy may throw up in the next few years? What we do know is that things don't remain static. To cope with inevitable change, we require planning with enough elasticity to respond equally well to population growth and decline. In removing PPS14, we have the opportunity to create those flexible structures.