The Irish Planning Institute (IPI) has welcomed the expanded Living Cities Initiative announced in today’s budget but noted that efforts to increase city and town centre living risk being undermined by the decision to focus the help to buy scheme for first time buyers on new build homes.

According to the Institute “Limiting the help to buy scheme to new build homes means that the emphasis is likely to be on green field sites and not reusing existing stock in our town and city centres which is also essential.”