asked the Minister for the Environment if his Department will ensure that local authorities provide for a proper mix of public and private housing in new estates.
Written Answers. - Housing Development.
241.
Under the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, local authorities are responsible for ensuring the application of sound planning principles to all development in their areas. In this regard they have a responsibility to ensure that the same general principles which govern the operation of the planning system in relation to private housing development are applied to their housing developments and that such developments are consistent in every material respect with the standards and requirements to which private housing development is expected to conform. Accordingly, in selecting sites for their housing purposes, local authorities are required to have regard to the provisions of their development plan for the areas. The proposed development must be consistent with the zoning objectives for the area and with any specific objectives in regard to water and sewerage services, road development, the renewal of obsolete areas, the preservation and development of amenities. In addition, a proposed site should stand up to critical examination using the criteria applied to planning applications generally.
Large schemes of local authority houses tend to create divisions between local authority areas and private areas. Local authorities have, therefore, been advised to build small schemes dispersed among private housing developments, wherever this is possible.
To ensure a reasonable mix of private housing within their housing schemes, local authorities are encouraged to provide serviced sites through the allocation of capital for site acquisition and development purposes and through the availability of subsidy where certain conditions are fulfilled and the sites are sold to certain categories of persons.
In addition, Dublin Corporation and Dublin County Council also operate "small builders" schemes whereby serviced sites are provided for small contractors to build modestly priced houses, which are then sold to approved purchasers, some of whom may be eligible for site subsidy. This scheme is also intended to provide a reasonable social mix between public and private housing in a given area.
Furthermore, a "joint venture" arrangement has been in operation since February 1982 whereby local authorities can provide building land to contractors for the purposes of building modestly priced houses for sale to selected purchasers. A number of housing schemes under this arrangement are either under way or are being considered at various locations around the country.
244.
asked the Minister for the Environment if the operation of the category loans scheme will be affected by the recent court case involving Buncrana UDC, County Donegal.
The Housing Bill which is before the House today will remove any doubts that might arise from the judgment in question in relation to the making by a housing authority of house purchase loans to persons residing outside their functional area.