Properties may be subject to vacant site levy
THE local authority is investigating the possibility that a number of sites could be subject to a vacant sites levy.
All planning authorities are required to establish a vacant sites register, where the site has been vacant for a minimum of 12 months. The criteria include that the land must be over 0.05 hectares and zoned residential or regeneration, it must be in an area in need of housing, be suitable for housing, and in the case of regeneration, have an adverse effect on the amenities of the area.
Greystones is one of the areas currently being looked at. Preliminary lists have been drawn up at this stage and the sites described in these lists are still under investigation.
Members discussed a number of the sites mentioned on the list during the district meeting last Tuesday night. The list was not released to the press as the council cannot confirm at this time that these sites definitely will or will not be included on the vacant sites register.
The documents circulated to the members were to update them on investigations to date and to seek their views regarding sites that may or may not comply with the criteria to be considered for this levy.
In the meeting, members discussed lands that are located in Killincarrig.
Planner Sorcha Walsh told members that lands zoned for development were zoned because that is the best use of land iin the public interest. ‘We don’t zone land for an individual: it’s for the public good,’ she said.
The site formerly earmarked for the controversial McDonald’s site is also among those areas investigated under the ‘regeneration’ phase of the vacant sites levy.
Ms Walsh asked members to go through the sites in their own time and come back to the officials with any comments.
While the Beach House green area was on the list, Ms Walsh said that ultimately it will not be subject to a site levy, as it is would have to be a ‘disamenity’ to qualify for the levy, which it is not.
‘It’s not vacant,’ said Cllr Derek Mitchell. ‘I had a drink there last Saturday sitting on the grass!’
The members wondered what would happen in the case of a council-owned site being subject to the levy. They heard that the money would be paid from the council, to the council, then ringfenced for public amenity in the area.
Cllr Mitchell said that he would be anxious that the La Touche Hotel site be subject to the levy. ‘We did threaten it with the derelict sites register which did produce some action,’ said Cllr Mitchell.
Ms Walsh told the members that in the first phase, Kilcoole is not included, and Newcastle is not in it at all.
The first phase is the regeneration of town centre sites, with phase one, B the next set of towns including Rathdrum and Ashford, phase two, later in the year, will be greenfield zones housing land.
She said that she doesn’t imagine tonnes of money coming in. There will be reasons to get out of paying, for example having a site loan or if you develop the site.