Madam, - The scenario outlined by Tim O'Brien (The Irish Times, February 11th) concerning the plans of Laois County Council is a new and frightening development.
The council plans to rezone village agriculture lands for new housing schemes and to impose the 20 per cent social and affordable housing condition, provided for under Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000-2002, on the developers.
However, the council does not intend purchasing the houses allocated but instead will demand large cash payments from the developers.
This strikes me as a most underhanded way to raise local taxes. It degrades the whole planning process, and the Planning and Development Act itself. The developers will pay whatever levy is imposed once they get permission. They will simply add their costs and profit margins, sub-divide the total cost of the levy over the number of house units they have permission to build and adjust the house price upwards. Such a levy could add between €20,000 and €50,000 to the price of a new house built under this scheme in Laois.
The people who will eventually pay this Laois "hello money" are those first-time buyers who, through no fault of their own, are forced to purchase their first home 50 to 100 kilometres from their families and places of employment and to commute daily.
The Minister for the Environment, Dick Roche TD, must act swiftly to stop this affair. - Yours, etc.,
ANTHONY MacGABHANN, Bray, Co Wicklow.