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SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, November 12, 2018

MOTION NO. 2

MOTION: Councillor M. Ward

A number of amendments were made to Part V by the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 including that the local authority has the discretion to decide what percentage of a development must be reserved for social housing but this is subject to a cap of 10% of the development.

Prior to the 2015 Act, the cap was higher at 20%. The cap was reduced to take account of the change in the economic climate since Part V obligations were first enforced.

This Council calls on the Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy to immediately raise the cap back to 20% to increase the social housing and affordable housing yield giving the current housing crisis.

REPORT:

Part V of the Planning & Development Act 2000 (as amended) requires each Planning Authority to draw up a Housing Strategy and integrate it into the Development Plan. All tenures are taken into account when assessing "housing need" i.e owner occupier, social housing and private rented accommodation. A key objective is to ensure that the strategy meets the diverse needs of existing and future residents, is sensitive to their environment and contributes to a high quality of life.

Prior to the enactment of the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015, pursuant to the Planning & Development Act 2000 (as amended), a Part V social and affordable housing requirement of up to 20% could be applied to new developments.  In carrying out its assessments of housing need at that time, the Council applied a rate of 15%.

The Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 subsequently stipulated a requirement of 10% social housing for proposed new developments under Part V of the Planning & Development Act (as amended). In our Interim Housing Strategy 2016-2022 this Council included as an objective to apply a 10% social housing requirement, pursuant to the Part V legislation.  The interim Housing Strategy assessed the mix of house types and tenures that are required to serve the need of the County's forecast population and sets out a range of measures to address housing segregation and provide social housing, including vacancy in the existing social housing stock, a social housing building programme, leasing and rental schemes, the Capital Assistance Scheme and through Part V.

If the Motion is passed by the Elected Members, a letter will issue to the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government.