There are a number of options open to a planning authority when making an agreement under Part V of Planning and Development Act 2000:
- the transfer to the ownership of the planning authority of a part or parts of the land subject to the planning application;
- the building and transfer to the ownership of the planning authority, or persons nominated by the authority, of a number of housing units on the site subject to the planning application;
- the transfer to the ownership of the planning authority, or persons nominated by the authority, of housing units on any other land in the functional area of the authority;
- the granting of a lease of housing units to the planning authority, either on the site subject to the planning application or on any other land within the functional area of the authority;
- a combination of two or more of the options above.
Ministerial Guidelines on Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000, issued in January 2017, advise planning authorities that, subject to the availability of funding, the option they should pursue as a priority is the acquisition of social housing on the development site, by means of transfer of ownership to the planning authority or to an Approved Housing Body.