I am aware of the views referred to in the question. I have given a great deal of consideration to how best to ensure that the community benefits from decisions of local authorities to rezone land and the response to that issue is set out in Part V of the Planning and Development Bill, 1999.
It is recognised that the high value of zoned land derives in part from the actions of the local authority in zoning it and in funding infrastructure services. The Planning and Development Bill will, therefore, require that up to 20% of land zoned for housing must be made available for social and affordable housing as a condition of development. This land must be made available to the local authority at existing use value, for example, at agricultural use value, unless purchased at a higher price prior to the publication of the Bill in August 1999. The local authority will then be in a position to build or to arrange for the building of houses for sale to those who meet the criteria for purchasing affordable houses, for letting as local authority housing or to give the site to a voluntary housing body. Alternatively, the developer and the local authority may enter into an arrangement whereby the developer would provide houses in the development at an agreed price to the local authority.
The measures which I have proposed in the Planning and Development Bill will ensure benefits for the wider community from zoning decisions and that the measures are well targeted, clearly defined and are proportionate and relevant to the issue being tackled. The Bill has been prepared having regard to the constitutional principles of fairness, equality and proportionality. I have no proposals, therefore, to introduce the alternative arrangement to which the Deputy referred.
