There’s a lot of concern at the development of apartments which, like those at Santa Sabina, will only be rented and won’t be on sale. This is in spite of a clear demand to buy an apartment in their local area from residents who would like to move out of a larger house.

I have submitted the following motion to initiate the process for an amendment to the County Development Plan, which, if I’m re-elected, will be taken at our July meeting:

That the Council, pursuant to S.13 (1A) of the Planning and Development Act, for the following reasons (already referred to in the Fingal Development Plan at pages and 108 and 130):

• the need for increased options for members of the public looking to down-size and/or right-size, and
• the establishment of diverse and balanced communities

hereby requests the Chief Executive to prepare a report on the following proposal to initiate a process to consider a variation of the Development Plan:

The insertion in the Development Plan of the following:

3.5.9.4 Apartments not designated as Build to Rent

Policy SPQHP33A

Apartment schemes not designated as Build to Rent may be subject to a planning condition requiring that all or some of the units must be first occupied as a place of residence by individual purchasers who are not a corporate entity and/or by tenants of social or affordable housing, including cost rental housing. The proportion of units, up to 100%, to be covered by such a condition will be determined in the Development Control process, taking into consideration the demand in the area to purchase an apartment, particularly the demand to purchase an apartment to move to from a larger dwelling.”