Apart from the provision of housing units to the local authority, an agreement under Part V of the Planning and Development Acts 2000 — 2002 may provide for: the transfer of land or sites to the local authority within the area of proposed development or within the functional area of the local authority; the transfer of fully or partially serviced sites to the local authority within its functional area; the transfer of fully or partially serviced sites to an approved housing body or other nominated persons; the payment of money in lieu of land, new units or sites; or any combination of these options.
It should also be noted that Part V relates only to planning applications made in respect of land zoned for residential use or for a mixture of residential and other use and applies to developments consisting of five or more housing units. It does not, for example, relate to one off rural housing, which forms a significant proportion of planning applications in many counties.
Part V is fully operational in all local authorities and all relevant residential planning applications are subject to a Part V agreement. However, the pace of activity in particular areas and, inter alia, the provision of Part V housing units, is dependent on the level and commencement of private sector residential development and the nature of Part V agreements entered into. Indeed, on the basis of returns to my Department on the provision of housing units, land, sites and financial contributions to date, it is clear that activity under Part V is gathering momentum. Provisional figures for the first nine months of 2004 indicate that a total of 4,500 social and affordable units are now planned or proposed. On this basis I expect that the number of units to be acquired by local authorities in 2005 will be over 1,000.
Accordingly, I am satisfied that the provisions of Part V are now being progressed that they will contribute significantly to the provision of social and affordable housing in future.
