Chapter 5. Housing

Chapter 5. Housing he core objective of housing policy is to enable every household to avail of an affordable, good- quality dwelling, suited to its needs, in a good environment and, as far as possible, at the tenure of its Tchoice. The key challenge in this regard is the creation and maintenance of sustainable communities where people want to live and work now and into the future. Sligo County Council’s role is to formulate policies offering a range of options towards direct housing provision and assistance towards persons unable to house themselves from their own resources, to con- sider planning applications for private housing, and to ensure that sufficient lands are zoned to meet the projected housing demand. The Council is both the housing authority and the planning authority and, in these roles, it has the capacity to influence the supply and location of new housing within its functional area. 5.1 Existing and future housing development County Sligo experienced a high level of residential construction between 2000 and 2008. It is particularly noteworthy that during the 2005-2007 period, house completions proved to be significantly in excess of Housing Strategy projections (see Table 5.A below). In fact, the projected cumulative total for the 2005-2011 period (5,672 units) had almost been achieved by the end of 2008 (5,521 units). Consistent with worsen- ing economic conditions, house construction declined dramatically in 2008-2009 and this trend is set to continue in the short and medium term. Table 5.A Housing unit projections and delivery 2005–2007 (source: www.eirestat.cso.ie) Housing units 2005 2006 2007 2008 Total Projections* 699 705 751 799 2,954 Delivered 1,164 2,164 1,269 924 5,521 Difference + 465 + 1,459 +518 +125 2,567 * As per Sligo Borough and County Councils’ Joint Housing Strategy 2005–2011 A review of household projections, carried out as background analysis to the Sligo and Environs Develop- ment Plan in 2008, estimated that between 1,494 and 2,122 households would be in need of accommodation in the County during the 2010-2017 period. 58 5.1 Housing needs 5.1.1 Assessment of overall housing needs Taking into account the population targets set by the Regional Planning Guidelines 2010 (refer to Section 3.1.2 Compliance withe RPG population targets and housing land requirements), it is estimated that the County Development Plan would have to cater for an additional population of circa 3,421 between 2011 and 2017, and that the Sligo and Environs area would accommodate 2,000 additional persons during the same period. Based on the potential figure of circa 3,421 additional persons to be accommodated in County Sligo between 2011 and 2017 and an average household size of 2.2 persons per household, it would appear that circa 1,555 households will be in need of accommodation between 2011 and 2017. 5.1.2 Location of future housing Whilst there has been no shortage in the supply of residential development in recent years, the location and distribution of this development has not been in accordance with the settlement structure envisaged in the CDP 2005-2011 and refined in this Plan (refer to Section 3.3 Settlement Structure). In order to redress the residential balance in the County, it is essential that future residential development is permitted on the basis of a rate and location that is consistent with the Core Strategy. This will be achieved through the application of a plan-monitor-manage approach to residential development. This approach involves placing appropriate controls on the extent of lands zoned for residential uses in various land-use plans, as well as monitoring housing supply through the development management process. The approach is also linked to the infrastructural capacity of each settlement. The allocation of zoned residential land to each settlement has been done in a manner that is consistent with the Core Strategy, the Settlement Structure and the infrastructural capacity. These allocations are incorporated into mini-plans (see Volume 2 fo this Plan) and will be incorporated into local area plans as part of the review of these plans. 5.1.3 The issue of density While the housing need estimates outlined in subsection 5.1.1 above are based on modest assumptions about housing density, the Council will have regard to Government policy, which seeks to encourage more sustainable development through the avoidance of excessive suburbanisation and through the promo- tion of higher densities (Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas (Cities, Towns and Villages), DoEHLG 2009). Accordingly, in existing settlement centres, densities of 30 to 40+ units per hectare will be encouraged. Outside centres, densities of 20-35 units per hectare will be expected, whilst lower densities of 15-20 units per hectare will be accommodated on the edge of settlements. The key issue is that each site is different and in some cases a low density may be appropriate, while in other instances a certain increase in density would be suitable (for example a courtyard development in the middle of a village or some infill sites within a village or town, where it is important to maintain the traditional streetscape). 5.1.4 Sustainable residential development It is an aim of this Plan to promote sustainable residential development that minimises the need for the use of private cars for daily activities and that delivers a good quality of life. Sustainable residential development should provide variety in terms of ancillary uses and supporting facili- ties, and should promote social integration between diverse household types and age groups. Development should be designed to promote efficient use of land and energy, and to provide an attractive living environment which respects its context. The approach towards future housing provision will take into account the location and context of a particu- lar proposed development. Detailed policies regarding the future provision of housing in 30 settlements are set out in the corresponding mini-plans contained in Volume 2 of this Plan. 59 5. Housing 5.1.5 Future household sizes Average household size in rural County Sligo, at 2.79 persons per household, was amongst the lowest in the State in 2006 and, in line with national trends, will probably continue to decrease. The revised household projections assume that the trend of falling household size will accelerate in the rural areas of the County. Over the period of the Development Plan, from 2011 to 2017, it is assumed that the average household size will decrease to approximately 2.5 persons per household. This will have implications for housing demand, with a growing need for smaller dwellings and a greater mix of house types and sizes. A high proportion of households on the Council’s Housing List have a preference for two/three-bedroom units, while elderly people or persons with special needs prefer single-bedroom units. A key objective of the Housing Strategy is the provision of a suitable range of housing types and sizes, to avoid the uniformity of suburban-type development and facilitate the integration of social and affordable housing into existing communities. 5.2 Housing Strategy Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000 requires planning authorities to prepare Housing Strate- gies for their areas and include these provisions in their Development Plans. As part of the preparation of the Sligo and Environs Development Plan 2010–2016, Sligo County Council and Sligo Borough Council have produced a Joint Housing Strategy for the period 2010–2017. This Strat- egy covers the entire area of County Sligo and its provisions were largely incorporated into the Sligo County Development Plan 2011–2017. The objectives of the Housing Strategy are fully compatible with those contained in the Regional Plan- ning Guidelines 2010 in relation to housing. However, the economic climate and the housing market has- vechanged dramatically since 2008, when the Strategy was prepared, and some of the estimates could appear unrealistic. The key findings of the Housing Strategy are as follows: < Based on a continuing decline in projected household sizes and based on population figures corresponding to the three population change scenarios (refer to Section 3.3 Settlement Structure), it is estimated that the number of additional households (i.e. in addition to the 2006 census figures) requiring accommodation in the County Development Plan area by 2020 would be between 1,301 and 3,413. For the period up to 2017, the figure would be between 1,023 and 3,259. < It is estimated that between 2010 and 2017, the number of social and affordable housing units re- quired in the whole County (i.e. including the Sligo and Environs area) would range between 1,342 and 2,247 under the Revised NSS-target and High-Growth scenarios, and between 1,006 and 1,680 under the Low-Growth Scenario. < Within the County Development Plan area, social and affordable housing unit requirements during the period 2010–2017 are estimated to be from 446 to 745 under the Low-Growth Scenario, 515 to 862 under the High-Growth Scenario, and from 361 to 605 under the Revised NSS-target Scenario. < During the period 2010 to 2017, direct social and affordable housing provision is estimated to be in the region of 600 units in total in the County Council area, subject to DoEHLG funding arrangements. < The spatial distribution of housing development anticipated by the CDP 2005-2011 has not been re- alised. There has been an over-concentration of housing in satellite villages, Key Support Towns, and several rural settlements at the expense of Sligo City. The key drivers of this trend have been dispari- ties in developable land supply, land values, development incentives and land zoning controls.

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