The Minister for Social Protection is responsible for the policy and operation of the Rent Supplement Scheme, formerly the Rent Allowance Scheme, and I have no function in the matter. In relation to the operation of Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, informed by an extensive public consultation process and an independent in-depth review, a number of amendments to Part V were included in the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 which came into force on 1 September 2015. The principal objectives of the 2015 amendments are to:
- maximise the opportunity for the delivery of social housing units;
- secure the principle of integrated mixed tenure developments;
- address weaknesses in aspects of the existing legislation identified in a number of court judgements; and
- enhance the economic viability of developments.
It is currently open to local authorities to agree with developers to have their Part V obligations fulfilled in a number of ways, including:
- the transfer of ownership of land, subject to the planning application, to a local authority for the provision of housing;
- the building and transfer of ownership to the local authority, or persons nominated, of completed social housing units on the land, subject to the planning application;
- the transfer of ownership to the local authority, or persons nominated, of completed social housing units on other land, not subject to the planning permission; and/or
- the long term leasing of properties.
My Department has advised local authorities of the commencement of the new provisions and the new requirements in that regard.
The Part V provisions are a key component of the range of delivery mechanisms required to achieve the targets set out in the Government’s Social Housing Strategy 2020.