Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 6 July 2023
44. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of estates which are overdue for taking-in-charge; and if he plans any initiatives to address this problem. [33127/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department does not collate data on the taking in charge of housing estates by local authorities. All planning authorities are required to have a policy on taking in charge within their respective functional areas in accordance with Planning Circular PD 1/08 which was issued on 26 February 2008.
The legislative process for the taking in charge of housing estates by local authorities is set out in section 180 of the Act. The prescribed process in this regard applies to residential developments consisting of two or more dwellings that have been granted planning permission under section 34 of the Act.
Under section 180 (1) of the Act, the planning authority is obliged to initiate the taking in charge process where requested by either the developer of, or by the majority of owners of the dwellings in, the estate in question. However, this is subject to the development being completed to the satisfaction of the authority and in accordance with the permission and any conditions attached thereto.
Where developments have not been completed to the satisfaction of the planning authority, and where enforcement proceedings in this connection have not been commenced by the planning authority within 4 years of the expiry of the planning permission relating to a development, section 180 (2)(a) of the Act provides that the planning authority shall, where requested by the majority of owners of the houses involved, initiate the taking in charge procedures under section 11 of the Roads Act 1993, as amended (the Roads Act).
Where this particular approach is being progressed, the authority may apply the security or development bond provided as part of the planning application for the purposes of ensuring the satisfactory completion of the development.
With regard to estates which have not been competed satisfactorily, local authorities have been advised to draw up a priority list of requests from residents for the taking in charge of estates within their functional areas, taking into account such factors as the date of the request, the condition of the estate, the length of time that it has been left in an unfinished state and the funding resources available to complete such estates.
Furthermore, where the calling in of the development bond is not possible, section 180(2A) of the Act provides that the initiation of the taking in charge procedures under section 11 of the Roads Act shall not preclude the planning authority concerned from pursuing a developer for any costs incurred by the authority in respect of necessary works undertaken on a development to enable it to be taken in charge by that authority.
In order to conclude the taking in charge process where the development has been deemed to have been satisfactorily completed, a local authority is required to make a declaration under section 11 of the Roads Act following a proposal by the executive. The making of such a declaration, which effectively confirms that the authority is prepared to take over responsibility for the ongoing maintenance of the public works elements of the estate, is a reserved function of the elected members of a local authority.
Therefore, the decision to take any particular estate or estates in charge is ultimately one for the elected members of the local authority who, by way of declaration made under the Roads Act, will make such a decision.
In addition, it should be noted that financial decision making and the accountability of local authorities is a matter for the elected members of a local authority who have direct responsibility in law for all reserved functions of the authority, which includes the adoption of the annual budget of the local authority.
In this regard, section 103 of the Local Government Act 2001, as amended, provides for the local authority budgetary process. It is a matter for each local authority to determine its own spending priorities in the context of the annual budgetary process, having regard to both locally identified needs and the funding resources available to the local authority. This includes the taking in charge of housing estates.
Under Section 30 of the Act, I, in my role as Minister with responsibility for planning, am precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to any particular case with which a planning authority or the Board is or may be concerned.
