Group welcomes planning Bill's housing provision

An achievement of the 20 per social housing provision under the Planning and Development Bill would mean a huge reduction in local authority housing waiting lists within a couple of years, according to the State's biggest housing association.

Father Pat Cogan, chief executive of Respond!, the Waterford-based organisation, said the provisions of the Bill were a huge step forward in levelling the pitch for integrated housing.

The 285-section document, published on Wednesday by the Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey, requires developers to sell to local authorities (at agricultural land prices) up to 20 per cent of every site for "social and affordable" housing.

Father Cogan, who appealed for such a provision when he addressed the Progressive Democrats annual conference in April, said the Bill contained a "planning gain" which they had lobbied for over a number of years. "If the 20 per cent portion is achieved countrywide it will give some 8,000 social housing dwellings per annum. This will be on top of the 6,000 dwellings per annum which can be expected from local authorities and housing associations."

He said that perhaps the most beneficial aspect of the Bill was the social integration of house occupants. "The Bill will help to develop more healthy estates in the future and cut down on disadvantage and anti-social behaviour by following the path of social integration."

However, the Irish Auctioneers & Valuers Institute, expressed "grave" concern about the section of the Bill dealing with social housing. Its chief executive, Mr Alan Cooke, said there was a danger local authorities would use the 20 per cent of land to be sold to them "purely to reduce their social housing waiting lists". The IAVI believed there was also a danger the Government would increase the value of houses in existing "quality" residential enclaves that would not have "foisted" on them the social housing element of this legislation.

The Green Party criticised the proposals to tackle the housing crisis. The party's economics spokesman, Mr Dan Boyle, said the party supported the idea of mixed housing development, and applying it to local authority housing schemes. "However, with a 20 per cent private housing quota, the Government must be aware of the constitutional implications of this proposal, and the very real possibility of it failing."

The Union of Students in Ireland called for the legislation to make specific reference to the needs of students. Section 80 of the Bill lists a number of groups requiring mention in the local authority's housing strategy and students should be included in this, said Mr Gareth Williams, the USI Dublin area convenor.