COMMENT: Legislation on vacant sites is flawed

A NEW law requiring planning authorities to establish a Vacant Sites Register came into effect on January 1. However, many councils have published blank registers which I believe is counter-productive and will not achieve urban regeneration.

While Dublin City Council and other planning authorities published a register this month, some contain no entries.

The Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 was set up to tackle renewal and prevent housing lands lying idle or remaining vacant. It requires planning authorities such as Dublin City Council to establish a register of vacant sites and provides for a three per cent levy on such sites from 2019 if they are not developed.

Publishing a register with no entries runs the risk of making us look ridiculous. The Vacant Sites Register published online by Dublin City Council last week contains no entries and sends out the wrong message – that we appear not to take the issue of underused lands seriously.

I have written to Dublin City’s chief executive, Owen Keegan, requesting that he place sites on the register as soon as possible. We have known for over a year that this law came into effect on January 1 2017, and we should have been better prepared. 

To most people, it looks like we’re complying with the letter, but not the spirit of the law. Placing sites on the register at an early stage would concentrate the minds of owners into developing these lands and will send a clear signal that Dublin City Council is determined to tackle vacancy as soon as possible.

The Act itself also needs to be amended to include smaller sites that won’t be included as they fall under the threshold of 500 sq metres in area. Such sites are large enough to include several vacant buildings or significant lands and could contribute to tackling the housing crisis. 

The Act should be amended downwards to include lands of 100 sq metres. Such sites are common in the city and significantly contribute to the poor appearance of many neighbourhoods.

Finally, the three per cent annual levy may not be enough to encourage owners to develop or sell on their lands. The levy should kick in at 10 per cent of the land’s value so that owners will put up or shut up. 

While this may reduce land values in the short-term, it will help to make housing more affordable in the long-term as currently the price of land can amount to half the cost of a new home.

Housing Minister Simon Coveney must now acknowledge that his Government’s legislation is flawed and amend it accordingly. Vacancy and dereliction contribute significantly to the challenges faced by many parts of the city. I strongly believe that we must take timely and effective action to tackle these issues in 2017.

Ciarán Cuffe is a Green Party councillor for the North Inner City.