COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, February 12, 2018

HEADED ITEM NO.11b)

HEADED ITEM: C. Performance and Change Management Directorate

VARIATIONS TO COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN

A. GRANGE CASTLE WEST

B. VACANT SITES LEVY

REPLY:

B. Proposed Variation No.2 of the County Development Plan 2016-2022 in Respect of the Vacant Site Levy

Background

The purpose of Proposed Variation No. 2 of the South Dublin County Council Development Plan 2016-2022 is to incorporate the Vacant Site Levy (VSL) provisions as introduced by the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015. The VSL is to incentivise the development of vacant sites in urban areas, and is a site activation measure, to ensure that vacant or underutilised land in urban areas is brought into beneficial use. As part of the Act, Planning Authorities must include an objective in their Development Plans for the development and renewal of areas in need of regeneration and must establish a vacant site register.

Proposed amendments to the Development Plan have been drafted on this basis and it is proposed that these would form a Variation to the Development Plan.

Proposed Text Changes

The text to be amended is contained in Chapter 1, Introduction and Core Strategy and Chapter 2, Housing.  

These amendments are attached in full as an appendix where additional proposed text shown in green. 

In summary, the principal amendments are as follows:

Chapter 1 Introduction and Core Strategy

Section 1.8.0 Phasing, Prioritisation and Infrastructure Delivery

New Section Heading and Additional Text to be included

1.8.1 Vacant Sites

Vacant development sites are both a challenge and an opportunity for the County to provide additional housing, employment and other important uses. Active land management, including the implementation of the vacant site levy, is key to realising the vision and objectives of the Core Strategy.

The Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 provides for a levy to be applied on vacant sites in residential and regeneration zoned lands, which are suitable for housing but are not coming forward for development. This is a key measure to encourage and promote the development of such vacant sites. The Act sets out two classes of land in which the levy may apply:

• Residential land, under Section 10 (2)(a) of the Planning Act 2000 (as amended).
• Regeneration land, under Section 10(2)(h) of the Planning Act 2000 (as amended).

In accordance with the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015, it is a key pillar of the Development Plan to promote the appropriate development and renewal of areas that are in need of regeneration, identified having regard to the core strategy, in order to prevent:

• adverse effects on existing amenities in such areas, in particular as a result of the ruinous or neglected condition of any land,
• urban blight and decay
• anti-social behaviour or
• a shortage of habitable houses or of land suitable for residential use or a mixture of residential and other uses.

Chapter 2 Housing

Policy 2 Supply of Housing

New Policy Objective: H2 Objective 2

H2 Objective 2:

To promote residential development through active land management and a co-ordinated planned approach to developing appropriately zoned lands at key locations, including regeneration areas, vacant sites and under-utilised areas.

New Policy Objective: H2 Objective 3

H2 Objective 3:

To implement the Vacant Site Levy for all vacant development sites, as appropriate, in the County and to prepare and make publicly available a register of vacant sites, as set out in the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 (or any superseding Act).

Chapter 11 Implementation

New Section Heading and Additional Text to be included

Section 11.1.2 Vacant Site Levy- Residential and Regeneration Lands

Land is a finite resource and should be used efficiently, especially zoned and serviced land in urban areas, which provides significant opportunities for housing, employment, regeneration and the creation of sustainable communities. There are currently a considerable number of vacant sites in urban areas throughout the country, which are lying dormant and undeveloped. South Dublin County Council is committed to identifying and prioritising the development of vacant and under-utilised sites in the county for housing and regeneration purposes.

The Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 sets out two broad categories of vacant land that the levy may apply to:

• Lands zoned primarily for residential purposes
• Lands in need of regeneration

The following lands zoned for residential or primarily residential purposes are included for the purposes as set out in the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 in relation to the vacant land levy:

• Objective RES and RES-N zoned lands as they have capacity to provide for residential accommodation.

The following zoned lands are included as lands with the objective of development and renewal of areas in need of regeneration:

• Objective REGEN (regeneration), TC (town centre), DC (District Centre), VC (village centre) and LC (local centre).

These lands offer great potential for the significant supply of housing and employment space, as set out in their zoning objectives. Furthermore, the local, town, village and district centre zoned lands are included given their critical role for sustainable neighbourhoods and wider communities.

 

To note: no changes are proposed to the landuse zoning map or any landuse zoning objective under Proposed Variation No.2.

RECOMMENDATION:

Accordingly, it is recommended to the Council that the statutory procedure for the making of a Variation to the County Development Plan be initiated on this basis.