Government doubles Mayo’s housing target to over 1,000 homes each year up to 2034
The Government has set new housing targets for Mayo County Council to deliver 1,111 new homes annually until 2034, more than double the previous housing target.
The Director of Services for Housing at Mayo County Council said the new guidelines are “a real opportunity to accelerate housing delivery and address the housing needs of the people in Mayo in a sustainable way.”
The Minister for Housing, James Browne, and the Minister for Planning, John Cummins, issued new guidelines instructing local authorities to update their housing targets in line with the revised National Planning Framework (NPF). National housing targets have risen by more than 22,000, with 55,598 new homes now required each year through to 2034. The guidelines have replaced the previous Housing Supply Targets.
In Mayo, the annual housing target has risen from 501 to 1,111 new homes, the 18th highest target in Ireland. Dublin City Council faces the largest target at 8,196 new homes per year, while Leitrim has the smallest at 201.
An additional headroom of 50pc will be available to local councils, allowing zoning for up to 83,000 housing units annually.
Local auctioneer and councillor, Cyril Burke, welcomed the announcement of the new targets and the opening up of more land for development. He called on planners to be flexible on the zoning of land in order to maximise development opportunities.
“We need to look at all possibilities and situations in a positive manner in order to provide as much housing stock as possible to support our communities and towns,” said Cllr Burke, “There are a lot of young people living at home with their parents who should have the opportunity to purchase their own home. We need supply to create those opportunities.”
Tom Gilligan, Director of Services at Mayo County Council, welcomed the ambition and opportunity of the guidelines, but stressed the need for careful assessment. “The scale of the housing requirement represents a significant step change, and we will need to fully assess and interrogate the details of the guidelines to ensure that our approach is both robust and deliverable.”
Mr Gilligan also highlighted the need for additional resources: “Mayo County Council requires additional resources, both financial and staffing. We have already written to the Department of Housing regarding additional personnel to ensure that we have the appropriate teams in place to deliver more housing for the county.”
He emphasized that meeting the new targets is a shared responsibility: “Importantly, this is not a challenge that Mayo County Council can meet alone. Now more than ever, AHBs must step up and play a pivotal role in delivering both social and affordable homes in Mayo. By working collaboratively with AHBs, Government departments, and local stakeholders, we are determined to turn this ambition into tangible results for our communities.”
This call follows Gilligan’s recent appeal for larger AHBs to increase their activity in Mayo after the council missed its social housing target by 23pc last year.
Issuing the new guidelines, Minister Browne emphasised the need for a significant step change in the delivery of housing in Ireland and said it was imperative that local authorities commence the process of revising their individual development plans as quickly as possible.
“The new Guidelines set out the need to plan for approximately 55,000 additional households per annum on average to 2040, and this reflects our government’s commitment to accelerated growth in new homes as our population continues to grow and change,” he said, “Moreover, in recognising the importance of having a sufficient amount of zoned land, I have made available an additional 50% headroom for local authorities above the base requirement of 55,000, enabling zoning for a total of 83,000 units per annum.”
The Minister said he intends to monitor zoned and serviced land to ensure its availability does not become a barrier to planning and development.
He stated: “Today’s development is the latest measure I have taken to accelerate housing delivery and I will continue to use every available lever to do so. I am ensuring our new planning legislation is being fully implemented as quickly as possible.”
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.