Councillors seek to reduce levies on people building new houses

A Louisburgh councillor has queried why levies are so high on planning permissions granted by Mayo County Council. 

At the April meeting of the local authority, Cllr Chris Maxwell said he was aware of one couple who were charged more than €3,900 in association with a granted planning application and another that was asked to pay €5,900.

“These people are living in rural areas [and] they are just wondering where does that money go. Seeing as they are going to be living on these rural roads, I wonder can the levy be ringfenced into that road, because that is the only benefit they will ever see from having built on it.” 

Cllr Michael Kilcoyne said a constituent in the Castlebar municipal area was being charged a levy of over €5,000, adding: "There is no public lighting in the area, they have to pay for connections to Uisce Éireann, and there is no sewerage treatment available for this property either. And here we are telling people they should try to build their own houses.” 

Cllr Kilcoyne told management: “I know you will say the levies were adopted by members, but because of the bad times we are in, can we review these levies that are being imposed when planning permission is given on a house?" 

He asked how councillors might be able to review the planning levies “because we have to do something about it and many people are really hurting".

Director of Planning Catherine McConnell clarified that the levies are based on the size of the house and told members that decisions around planning were made by the Department of Housing. She added that levies can be paid on a phased basis through an arrangement with the council.

Chief executive Kevin Kelly said the issue would have to be looked at in the context of the 2024 Housing Act to see if planning legislation around levies was open to change, but added that it would not be possible to have that money allocated to a particular location. 

"As it stands, not many development levies are being collected because the level of construction is quite limited.”

• Published as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.