Number of homes granted planning permission nosedives

There was a 33 per cent fall in the number of homes granted planning permission in the second quarter of this year compared with the same period last year, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

The Irish Home Builders' Association (IHBA) last night warned that the number of homes being built would "decline significantly" unless something was done about the availability of zoned and serviced lands.The CSO says planning permission was granted for 19,097 homes in the second three months of this year compared with 28,818 between April and June last year, a drop of 33.7 per cent. Permission was granted for 21,938 houses and 6,880 apartments in the second quarter of 2005. This year, the comparable figures were 15,014 houses and 4,083 apartments.

The IHBA said the overall decline in planning permissions was due to delays in the planning system, density issues and the shortage of properly zoned and serviced land. A Department of the Environment spokesman said there was no evidence of a backlog in the planning system, or of an insufficient supply of serviced land.