Increase in new homes being built in Leitrim

One year on from its introduction, the Government has marked the first 12 months of the Government’s ambitious Housing for All plan, citing the progress made in delivering housing for Leitrim.

Latest figures show there were:
- 73 new homes built in Leitrim in the 12 months to end of June 2022 (a 2.8% increase on the previous 12 months);
- Commencement Notices for 79 homes were received in Leitrim in the 12 months to the end of July 2022 (an 83.7% increase on the previous 12 months);
- Planning permissions for 98 homes in Leitrim to the end of Q1 2022 (a 63.3% increase on the previous 12 months);
- Approval for four new posts in Leitrim County Council for local authority housing delivery;
- Introduction of exemption from planning permission requirements for converting vacant Leitrim pubs into homes. The existing exemptions to converting vacant commercial premises into homes in Leitrim have been extended. Between 2018 and 2021, 4 residential units were provided in Leitrim through notifications of exempted developments.

In 2021, the Government provided €12.02 in total funding to Leitrim County Council for housing, an increase of 38% on 2020.
In 2021, 63 new social homes were delivered.
There was a 51% reduction in the number of households on the social housing waiting list in Leitrim at the end of 2021 compared to the first annual assessment conducted in September 2016.
The government has also introduced a new design manual and streamlined processes for the procurement of social housing for Leitrim County Council.

Commenting on the role of local authorities in delivering housing in Leitrim, the Minister of State for Planning and Local Government, Peter Burke TD, said: “Leitrim County Council is playing a central role in delivering housing in the county. Over the past 12 months the Government has provided resources and funding to the council to help it deliver for people in Leitrim.
“I’ve recently issued guidelines to Leitrim County Council on the making of their county development plan to ensure it takes into account projected housing need so that sufficient new homes can be built in key areas of housing demand. We have also streamlined the processes for the procurement of social housing.”

The Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD, commented on progress made in putting sustainability at the heart of housing: “Compact growth has to be at the heart of housing provision and planning. Higher population densities will have upshots such as minimal transport demand and shorter travel distances.
“Since Housing for All was launched, we have made progress in developing legislation to introduce Land Value Sharing and a new concept, Urban Development Zones. These are key reforms in land management and planning, which will result in compact growth and curbs on land speculation.”