Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 October 2020
377. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on the number of strategic housing development applications granted permission in north County Kildare since 2018; the number of commencements; if an assessment of the potential increase of population is considered and-or if CSO data is utilised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28886/20]
View answerThe Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016 (the Act) introduced new streamlined arrangements to enable planning applications for strategic housing developments (SHDs) of 100 housing units or more, or student accommodation or shared accommodation developments of 200 bed spaces or more, to be made directly to An Bord Pleanála for determination.
In the period from the new arrangements coming into operation in July 2017 up until 31 August 2020, the Board has received 23 SHD applications in respect of developments in Kildare, 11 of which have been granted (in respect of 2193 houses, 1266 apartments and 483 student bed spaces), 7 of which have been refused and 5 of which are yet to be decided. Of the 11 developments granted planning permission, 6 of these have lodged commencement notices to date.
The 2017 SHD Regulations provide for the publication of a weekly list of applications received and applications determined or otherwise disposed of by the Board in relation to SHD cases. These weekly lists are available to view on the Board's website at http://www.pleanala.ie/.
Arrangements have been put in place by all bodies under the aegis of my Department to facilitate the provision of information directly to members of the Oireachtas. This provides a speedy, efficient and cost effective system to address queries directly. The contact email address for An Bord Pleanála is oireachtasqueries@pleanala.ie.
In making a decision on an application, the Board must consider the proper planning and sustainable development of the area, having regard to the provisions of the development plan, any submissions or observations received from the public and the statutory consultees, and any relevant Ministerial or Government policies, including any guidelines issued by the Department. Under section 30 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended), I am specifically precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to any case with which a planning authority or the Board is or may be involved.
A review of the SHD arrangements was carried out in 2019. This review particularly highlighted that while they had generally been a success in providing a fast-track development consent process for developers of large-scale housing developments, the number of SHD permissions that have commenced development is less than might have been expected.
In this regard, with a view to influencing the earlier activation of housing related planning permissions, the new Programme for Government – Our Shared Future commits to introducing a "use it or lose it" condition for all planning permissions of ten housing units or more. I intend that the necessary legislation providing for the introduction of the proposed new "use it or lose it" housing-related planning arrangements will be progressed over the coming months.
National Policy Objective 37 of the National Planning Framework requires that each local authority should undertake a "Housing Need and Demand Assessment" (HNDA), in a co-ordinated fashion, to support the preparation of their statutory housing strategy and development plan.
Work to support the development of the HNDA process is ongoing in my Department. Research undertaken by the ESRI on population projections at county level is nearing completion while the development of a HNDA digital tool is shortly to be piloted with a number of local authorities. This new evidence-based approach will form the basis of a more accurate and consistent projection of demand for different tenures of housing within the administrative area of each local authority. As this work evovles, it will be integrated into the review processes for statutory development plans that are underway or scheduled to be commenced over the coming years.
