Will demand area analysis of development levies
LEIXLIP, 15 March 2002: by Brian Byrne. Production of development levy figures on an electoral area basis will be sought by Leixlip Area councillor Catherine Murphy when the issue of progress on development levy collection comes up for discussion in April at Kildare County Council.
“I will be seeking this change as a matter of urgency because it is the aspect that will allow Councillors to have an input into the spending of the Development Contributions,” Cllr Murphy says, in a comment on the production of a report outlining progress on collecting outstanding levies.
Cllr Murphy has been campaigning for the provision of information on the status of the levies since the early 90s. The report now shows that more than 12 million euros are outstanding.
“I first tabled a motion to the Council in relation to development contributions in the early 90s,” Cllr Murphy notes. “I got little support from the Council chamber at that time or for some years to follow. The main reason why was because most of the development at that time was centred around the North of the County and I was seeking that these contributions should be spent in the area they were collected. My main motivation for seeking spending in this way was it was clear to me and most inhabitants of North Kildare that we were getting the housing but little else and that these contributions were paid to provide for the other elements.”
Cllr Murphy says she welcomes a commitment from Kildare County Council that the outstanding money will be pursued ‘by all available means’ and says that the only ones who have to worry in this regard are ‘rogue developers’.
“It is clear from the report that while there are large sums both in hand and due for collection there are significant commitments that money must go against. The Manager has given me an assurance that each of those commitments will be separately assessed some need immediate funding some will be funded over a period of time. The Councillors need that information if we are to make a real input into the priorities for each of our areas.”
Cllr Murphy also called for an end to ‘continued raiding’ of the fund to balance the council’s annual spending estimates. “These Development contributions should be just that, they should be of a capital nature and bridge that gap between housing development and the other types of development that are needed to complement the housing such as roads, footpaths, sanitary facilities, and amenity facilities. I am now confident that the foundation has been laid but there is significant work that must follow before I will feel completely satisfied.
©2002knn