Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 6 April 2017
57. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the current crisis facing numerous town centres in which there is documented decline in business vitality and retail footfall; the measures pending to assist these town centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16820/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for a Partnership Government, published in May 2016, sets out the ambitious priority attached to urban regeneration by the Government, incorporating a series of specific actions aimed at facilitating the regeneration of our urban centres, many of which have been adversely impacted by our recent economic difficulties. The Government’s Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness published in July 2016, further reinforces the Government’s commitment to the area of urban regeneration.
In this regard, the Programme for Government specifically commits to examining a series of initiatives in the area of urban regeneration, such as:
- the introduction of a scheme similar to the ‘Living City Initiative’ to regenerate urban centres and villages throughout Ireland,
- examining the scope to reform the Derelict Sites Act to tackle the under-use and hoarding of derelict land by the State, semi-State and private sectors,
- the establishment of a National Register of Derelict Sites, in addition to the new vacant site levy, to bring vacant and under-utilised sites into beneficial use for housing and urban regeneration purposes,
- the mandating of local authorities with better land management powers, including the possibility of additional CPO capabilities, and
- various other measures, which have subsequently been developed under Rebuilding Ireland, particularly under Pillar 5, aimed at bringing vacant housing stock into reuse and which have already been launched such as the Repair and Leasing Scheme, the Buy and Renew Scheme, and the €70m rolling fund to enable the Housing Agency to purchase vacant properties on the portfolios of financial institutions and investors for social housing use.
To drive forward these and other considerations, a Working Group, which I chair and comprising senior representatives from my Department, local authorities and other relevant bodies, has been established to bring forward proposals for new urban regeneration measures as early as possible. It is intended that the new measures will complement the existing regeneration programme under my Department’s Social Housing Capital Programme, as well as other social regeneration initiatives already under way. The Working Group has met on a number of occasions to date and will meet again in the coming weeks to consider issues and emerging proposals, including the scope for further measures to facilitate urban regeneration generally. I expect the Working Group to be in a position to report before the Summer.
To further assist in the area of urban regeneration, my colleague, the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs launched the Town and Village Renewal Scheme in August 2016, with an initial allocation of €10 million in funding. In this regard, a sum of €380,000 was made available to each of the 31 local authorities under the initial phase of the scheme, and a full list of towns benefiting under the scheme is available on the website of the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, at the following link:
http://www.ahrrga.gov.ie/more-than-170-towns-and-villages-benefit-from-funding-under-e10m-town-and-village-renewal-scheme-minister-Humphreys/.
Increased funding of €12 million has been provided in Budget 2017 to enhance this scheme with a view to increasing the attractiveness and sustainability of our towns and villages as places in which to live and work.
My Department is also developing proposals for the preparation of a consolidated Rates Bill to modernise and consolidate legislation in this area. Among the measures being addressed in the proposals is provision for local authorities to introduce rates alleviation schemes to support specific policy objectives, which could include, inter alia, local authority planning objectives, including any objectives in Development Plans and Local Area Plans.
In addition, it is envisaged that the forthcoming National Planning Framework entitled Ireland 2040 - Our Plan, will further develop policy in relation to identifying potential to build up the population and economic vitality of city and town centre areas that in many cases have witnessed a sustained movement of people outwards to suburban areas and wider settings.
Finally, the Deputy may be aware of the Retail Consultation Forum - chaired by my colleague the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation - which is expected to approve a new “Framework for Town Centre Renewal” shortly and which I understand will incorporate an Action Plan to support Town Centre Renewal.
