Builders seeking to fast track 11,500 new homes

Developers have sought planning for more than 11,000 new homes under a new fast-track planning system for residential building, according to the Minister for Housing, Eoghan Murphy.

The Government handed responsibility for large housing developments to An Bord Pleanála in July in a bid to speed up planning permission applications by cutting out the need get approval from local councils.

Mr Murphy said that since then, the board had received applications for 11,500 new homes, including 4,000 houses, 2,500 apartments and 5,000 student rental rooms. He was addressing a conference in Dublin on Wednesday.

Mr Murphy noted that while there was no guarantee that all applications would succeed, the number was an indication of the progress made under the new fast-track planning system for housing.

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Work begun

The minister also told the Sunday Business Post residential property summit that builders around the Republic had begun work on 17,000 new homes in the 12 months ended September 30th, a 49 per cent increase on the corresponding period in 2015/16.

Speaking after the event, the Minister dismissed rumours that the Government was facing a delay in finalising its proposed National Planning Framework.

Mr Murphy pledged that the Government would finalise it this year as promised. “There’s no delay,” he said.