A local Councillor has called for an easing of regulations for developments under €500,000 which come from voluntary groups and sporting organisations.
Fine Gael Cllr Barry Walsh raised the issue this week at Laois County Council’s April meeting, calling on the Council to:
“Request the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Mr Darragh O’ Brien TD, to consider the introduction of an opt-out option from the onerous Building Control Amendment Regulations for all proposed developments from voluntary groups, sporting groups and developments under €500,000 in value.”
Cllr Walsh said a “relaxation of regulations was needed” to help eliminate “unnecessary costs.”
The Building Control Amendment Regulations (BCAR), introduced in 2014, was later amended to give an opt-out option for single-build houses, thereby reducing considerable “red-tape” costs.
Cllr Walsh told the Council that he was looking for “something similar” for voluntary groups and sports groups to help offset their own costs on smaller-scale projects.
“This is adding huge, unnecessary costs onto these groups and this (amendment) needs to be introduced.
“These are add-on costs that before you even start (a project) you could have €25,000 (in costs); it’s hard enough to raise money, without adding on unnecessary costs.”
Fellow Fine Gael Cllr PJ Kelly supported the motion, saying: “Any sporting groups, for example, that would qualify for spors capital grants – that money is gobbled up quickly enough.
“In some cases, sports capitals grants don’t even cover the total costs as everything has gone up (in price) over the last 18 months.”
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