I propose to take Questions Nos. 244 and 245 together.
Under the vacant site levy provisions in the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015, planning authorities are empowered to apply a vacant site levy of 3% of the market value of relevant vacant sites where a site exceeds 0.05 hectares in area, was in the planning authority’s opinion vacant or idle in 2018, and is in an area identified by the planning authority in its development plan or local area plan for residential or regeneration development. As signalled in Budget 2018, the rate of the levy has been increased to 7% for sites on a local authority vacant sites register from 2019 onwards.
My Department does not maintain a central register of vacant sites, as each local authority administers the vacant site register in respect of their functional area. As provided for under the Act, the register in respect of each local authority is available for inspection at its offices and online on its website. However, on foot of a recent review of the on-line vacant site registers across all local authority areas, I understand that there are collectively almost 300 individual sites currently on the local registers. Over 140 of these sites were entered on the local vacant site registers on 1 January 2018 and will therefore be subject to the levy in 2019, unless development works are activated in the interim.
Based on the current legislative provisions and a recent review of the sites currently listed on local authority registers, it is estimated that the levy proceeds nationally could be €9m in 2019 (applying the current 3% levy rate on the overall market value of sites of €300m) and €28.2m in 2020 (applying the increased 7% levy rate on the overall market value of sites of over €400m). The latter estimate for 2020 is based on the number of sites currently included on the local vacant site registers and in respect of which market valuations have been attached to the registered sites. It is expected that the number of registered sites in respect of which market valuations will be obtained will increase in the coming months which should result in an increase in the estimated levy proceeds nationally for 2020.
Owners of vacant sites may make an appeal to An Bord Pleanála against the entry of a site on the register, the notice of entry on the register and the demand for payment of the levy by a planning authority. An appeal can also be made to the Valuation Tribunal against a planning authority's determination of the market value of a site.
To date, 137 appeals have been made to An Bord Pleanála as follows:
Appeal
|
Received
|
Disposed (formally decided)
|
Otherwise Disposed (Invalid/ Withdrawn)
|
Appeal rejected (Entry confirmed)
|
Appeal accepted (entry to be cancelled)
|
Appeal yet to be decided
|
Entry on the register
|
122
|
80
|
13
|
43
|
37
|
29
|
Notice of entry on register
|
15
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
13
|
There have been no appeals to the Board against the demand for payment of the levy as under the provisions of the Act, 1 January 2019 is the earliest date on which a demand for payment can be made in respect of a site on the register in 2018.
In addition, to date there have been 9 appeals submitted to the Valuation Tribunal against market valuation determinations made by planning authorities. One appeal has been withdrawn and the other 8 appeals remain to be decided.