The term “unfinished” may have certain meanings or related perceptions, therefore for a more informed view of the term one should refer to the Department of the Environment, Community & Local Government website www.environ.ie The categorisation applied by the Department of the Environment, Community & Local Government in its national survey of 2010-2011 in relation to “unfinished” estates identified the following categories;
Category 1: Developer present and active;
Category 2: Developments where a receiver had been appointed;
Category 3: Developer present but not active; and
Category 4: Abandoned developments (no developer present) with serious public safety issues.
The national survey of unfinished developments carried out in 2010-2011 assigned these categories to developments of two or more units that had commenced at the time. It was determined that none of the developments in South Dublin County Councils administrative area were in category 3 and 4, the category relating to developments that present very serious issues of dereliction and associated health and safety concerns.
The initial focus of activity in the unfinished estates area has been on potentially unsafe sites. Given the absence of developments in the category 3 and 4, actions in South Dublin have focussed on developments that have not been completed in line with the original planning permission. In many cases, such developments may need a longer term plans to resolve them, including amendments to the original planning permission. In this regard the Council are working with receivers and developers, and other relevant agencies to secure completion of public areas within the developments.
Since the initial survey in 2011, the number of estates designated as unfinished in South Dublin's area, has reduced from 49 to 18.
In the last year the practice employed by the Department for categorising these developments has evolved further with two main categories now existing;
(a) Are developments properly managed from a health and safety perspective and with a phased ongoing delivery of services commensurate with the completed dwellings or
(b) Are they lacking some or all of that in (a) and hence, “in a seriously problematic state”.
Of the 18 developments classified as unfinished in South Dublin County, none are currently classified in the category of (b) above, “seriously problematic”. Indeed there are 5 of 18 sites where planning permissions are live and units are actively being constructed and sold and services incrementally provided in consultation with the Council.
South Dublin County Council welcomes notification from residents in affected estates in bringing to the attention of the relevant statutory bodies defects in the public areas of residential developments where they live.
Should residents have enquiries in this regard they should be forwarded by email to planning.dept@sdublincoco.ie or to the Building Control Section, County Hall, Tallaght, Dublin 24.
The following links provide mapped information and reports in relation to the matter of completion of unfinished estates; http://www.myplan.ie/viewer/ .
Other notable reports are in the related documents below and updates are published at www.environ.ie
