Review of planning provisions for Strategic Housing Developments

You might have missed the opening of public consultation to review the planning provisions regarding Strategic Housing Developments (SHDs) earlier this week. This public consultation process is open until July 25th and it is an important opportunity for the industry to voice any specific concerns and opinions, but before you get involved, let’s take a look at what it is about: 

The fast-track Strategic Housing Development (SHD) scheme was introduced back in 2017, to address the ongoing housing crisis, as one of the five pillars of the Government strategy, Rebuilding Ireland. The initiative provides that planning applications for strategic housing – that is, 100 or more housing units, student accommodation of 200 or more bed spaces, or shared accommodation developments of 200 or more bed spaces – ought to be made directly to An Bord Pleanála, and not to a local planning authority. 

This was something that hadn’t been done before and it was implemented with the express aim of increasing housing delivery in a prompt manner. Effectively, this type of planning process reduced the general public’s role in the process, and that of local councillors/elected representatives. This regime change has led to question marks over the fairness of significantly reducing the public’s role and the nature of statutory public consultation. Public recourse for objecting to SHDs in their local area is now by way of costly judicial review. Earlier this year the Housing Minister expressed his concerns of NIMBYism and how local councillors are acting to protect well-intended vested interests, and of course, pandering to win local elections;  this is something that continues to be an issue in local communities. 

For these types of large scale housing developments, the process was streamlined and reduced to a more efficient, two-stage process. Primarily, the speeding up of the decision-making process was a key factor, giving developers programme certainty, while facilitating speedier housing supply in accordance with planning and development objectives. As per the section of the Act, the SHD provisions apply for an initial period, currently until the end of 2019. As the Act dictates, the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government may, by order, extend that period by a further limited period of two years, up until the end of 2021, to coincide with the end timeframe of Rebuilding Ireland. Before this order can be made, the Minister must review the operation and effectiveness of the SHD provisions in line with the Act. These findings will be presented before both Houses of the Oireachtas in a full report of the conclusions of the review. 

In brief, Minister Eoghan Murphy, has already established a Review Group and this group is expected to report back to him by September 2019. As part of the review, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government has launched a public consultation offering relevant stakeholders, including the general public, the opportunity to make written submissions on the SHD arrangements, which will be forwarded to the Review Group for its consideration. 

Get involved now by emailing your submissions toSHDReview@housing.gov.ie

Ian Lawlor
086 3625482

Director / Business Development
Lotus Investment Group