Vol. 519 No. 7
13 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the main findings of the survey undertaken by his Department of the number of unfinished housing estates; the potential cost to local authorities of completing the estates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14672/00]
The question of the taking in charge of estates is essentially a matter for each individual local authority and my Department does not systematically collect such information. However, the Department carried out an informal survey of local authorities in 1998 on the extent of the problems with unfinished estates and the factors contributing to such problems. Replies received from 77 of the 88 planning authorities revealed that 706 housing estates were then regarded as unfinished and which, with a further 542 finished estates, had not been taken in charge. The sizes of the estates in question vary from two to 200 houses. My Department does not have available any estimate of the potential cost to local authorities of taking all these estates in charge.
New requirements on planning authorities concerning the taking in charge of unfinished estates are provided in the Planning and Development Bill, 1999 which provides that where an estate has been completed to the satisfaction of a local authority, the authority must take it in charge when the developer or a majority of the residents request the authority to do so. Where an estate is unfinished, the period of seven years for taking enforcement action has expired and a majority of the residents so request, the planning authority will also be obliged to take the estate in charge.
I am surprised the Minister does not have an estimate of what it will cost local authorities to take estates in charge given that a new obligation is being put on local authorities to take estates in charge which have not been finished. Based on the figures he outlined that more than 1,200 housing estates are unfinished and have not been taken in charge, is it fair to conclude that approximately 12,000 families are living in houses in unfinished estates or glorified building sites which have not been taken in charge by local authorities? How long does he expect it will take the local authorities under the new legislation to take these estates in charge and ensure that the householders and residents have proper roads and public spaces and that the general environment of their neighbourhood is brought up to an acceptable standard?
I have no idea what number of people might be affected by this issue. The sizes of the estates vary from two to 200 houses. From a cost point of view, some estates are unfinished because of minor works while others require major work. All estates are not like construction sites. Local authorities have been aware of this provision for at least 12 to 15 months and if they do not pursue builders who have not finished estates – in some cases they cannot do so because many of them date back to the 1970s and 1980s – they will suffer financially because they must provide for taking them in charge. My advice to local authorities is to take action now, if they can, to ensure they are not left with a big bill by builders or developers. Some 706 estates are unfinished and 500 have not been taken in charge, probably because no one asked the local authorities to do so.
The Minister carried out a survey and wrote to all the local authorities. My experience in trying to deal with this issue in my area is that the problems are relatively minor. It is often a matter of addressing the urgency of the situation from the residents' point of view. Local authority officials are trying to come to terms with unfinished estates while dealing with new ones. This is a matter of staffing and of the local authorities focusing on the issue and getting the job done. It involves paperwork for many people.
This is a straightforward matter in many cases. As regards the 500 plus estates I mentioned, it is a matter for the local authority to take the necessary action by way of resolution or otherwise to take over the estates. The complaints about and the reasons for the unfinished estates vary considerably. There can be minor problems, such as the paving of roads and footpaths and insufficient lighting, and major problems, such as those with sewerage and water. In some cases it is a matter of finishing the green area in an estate.
The Planning and Development Bill, 1999, has provisions to take into account in future the record of builders if they do not finish an estate. Most of the estates date from the 1970s and 1980s. There are few unfinished estates from the 1990s when the local authorities got their act together and phased in building and increased bonding, which have proved effective. Some problems are persistent, however, and date back to the 1970s and 1980s.
