In advance of the publication of the Government’s Housing Action Plan and speculation on potential options to “fast track” large housing applications, the Irish Planning Institute (IPI) has warned that following reforms in the last year the planning system cannot be the scapegoat for failures in the housing market and set out the changes it considers are required. 

Discussing planning and housing IPI President Deirdre Fallon said “Changes to planning legislation over the past year have significantly reduced the costs of providing new homes. Initiatives include reduced development contributions and a targeted development contribution rebates scheme. The Part V contribution of social housing has been reduced from a maximum of 20 per cent to 10 per cent. Apartment standards have been revised and fast track planning has been introduced to facilitate changes in apartment layouts to permitted, unconstructed developments to incorporate the new apartment standards.”

According to Fallon “Feedback from a recent survey of our members in the public and private sector confirms that there is no silver bullet to the housing crisis and that planning is only one part of a complicated issue. Reducing the VAT on houses, greater coordination between bodies such as Transport Infrastructure Ireland, Irish Water and local authorities, addressing land costs and the greater use of compulsory purchase powers to assemble sites are all potential solutions.”

Finance, development contributions and infrastructure and costs

Fallon noted “The Irish Planning Institute has previously identified the provision of infrastructure as a barrier to the delivery of housing and welcomes the introduction of the Government’s €200 million Local Infrastructure Fund. The fund should be used to advance strategic sites identified as a priority in the delivery of housing.”

“There have been ongoing calls to further reduce development contributions. Information on the costs of construction provided to the Committee on Housing and Homelessness indicate that development contributions make up 4% of the cost of constructing a dwelling. Equal consideration must be given to the other costs associated with house building as recognised in the Committee report’s recommendation that an annual audit of construction costs be carried out. Development contributions are used to fund necessary physical and social infrastructure. Therefore care must be taken that any measures to force further wholescale reductions do not inadvertently delay development by impeding the ability of planning authorities to fund infrastructure. However, exemptions from development contributions for certain sites e.g. brownfield sites or sites identified as being of strategic importance, in specified locations for a limited period may be appropriate.”

“The priority now must be on resolving other barriers to housing construction including the remaining fundamental difficulty identified by our members, and highlighted in the report of the Committee on Housing and Homelessness, that of development finance.”

Reuse in towns, Development Plans

Discussing vacant buildings Fallon said “The Government could investigate practical means of encouraging housing delivery through the renewal or reuse of existing buildings. In many instances, building stock is under-utilised by having upper floors over retail or commercial units vacant. Facilitating a change of use for residential purposes could assist in meeting housing demand and encouraging urban renewal in our cities, towns and villages.”

“The IPI is concerned at any proposal to “abandon the planning hierarchy” as suggested in the Committee report. Development Plans are an important part of the planning process in terms of democratic mandate and community engagement. We need to encourage, rather than reduce public engagement and community involvement in planning, through public education on the development plan process and on the planning system so that people can make a real contribution at a critical stage in the planning process and issues can be addressed and resolved at the early plan making stage rather than at application stage.”

Fast track proposals and resourcing system

Discussing speculation that applications might be fast tracked to An Bord Pleanála Fallon said “In our view it will not be possible for a housing application directly made to An Bord Pleanála to be decided significantly more quickly than an application to a local authority. In particular applications directly to the Board would lose the significant opportunities developers have to engage with local authorities that allow issues such as roads and design to be addressed.”

“In our research the importance of pre planning consultations between developers and local authorities was highlighted and local government must be properly resourced to allow these to happen as quickly as possible.”

“Rather than seeking to reduce public involvement in the planning process, the focus should be on ensuring that planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála are adequately staffed with professional planners and other disciplines. This would ensure that applications can be processed as rapidly as possible and that active land management can be carried out by planning authorities to enable housing development. A survey carried out by the Irish Planning Institute indicated that the number of planners in planning authorities decreased by one third between 2006 and 2015. Situations where a lack of staffing resources is impeding key planning functions must be rectified.”

Fallon continued “There are already procedures in place in An Bord Pleanála for fast tracking appeals on certain types of development including housing. Similar systems should be put in place in planning authorities in order that pre planning consultations and planning applications can be processed as efficiently as possible. The onus is also on applicants to engage an appropriate team of professionals who can advise and assemble a planning application which meets all relevant requirements in order to reduce delays in processing.”

Fallon concluded “We need to create sustainable communities and quality housing with the necessary social services with greater recognition that some groups have specific housing requirements (for example student housing or older people). These must be located in the right place where people can integrate into a community. There are clear pressures to deliver on new housing but we must be careful not to repeat the mistakes of the past. Rather we must continue to focus on the right development in the right place with the right infrastructure, to ensure quality and long-term viability.”