Dubliners support idea of levy on disused sites

Dubliners are backing calls for the introduction of a levy on vacant sites, with more than 80 per cent in favour of the charge, according to a Dublin City Council survey.

However, respondents were not seeking a punitive tax, with a 3 per cent levy on unused lands the most popular option.

The council’s survey of almost 1,500 people, taken last month, found just under 90 per cent wanted unused, vacant or derelict lands in the city brought back into productive use. Some 84 per cent either agreed or strongly agreed that landowners who don’t take steps to develop or make their sites available for temporary uses such as parks or allotments, should have to pay a levy on the market value of the land.

The survey comes ahead of an expected announcement by Government on the introduction of enabling legislation to allow local authorities to apply levies to stop land hoarding.

Government secretary general Martin Fraser, the State's most senior civil servant, is heading a task force examining the introduction of the levy.

The levy was last August proposed by Lord Mayor of Dublin Oisín Quinn, over concern that while the construction market was becoming viable again, particularly in the capital, land was not being released for development, with land-hoarding artificially driving up prices.

A levy of up to 10 per cent of the value of the site could help end land-hoarding and bring sites into productive use, Mr Quinn said.

Tax imposition
The council has the power to impose a tax on sites with derelict structures, and does so at a rate of 3 per cent of market value. It also charges rates on empty commercial buildings, with owners paying half the commercial rate, but owners of vacant sites are not subject to any tax or charge.

Respondents to the council’s survey – conducted through its Your Dublin Your Voice site – were asked to choose either 3, 6 or 10 per cent as the most appropriate rate. They were also given the option of “other” but were asked to specify the rate.

More than one-third felt 3 per cent of the land value would be appropriate for a levy, a quarter went for 10 per cent, and just under one-fifth chose 6 per cent. However when the responses of the 22 per cent who selected “other” were collated, the average rate chosen by this group was just 1.4 per cent.