Planning applications to build halved

The number of applications for planning permission sought in Meath this year has been halved since this time last year, it emerged this week. Meath County Council"s vital income from planning fees has consequently dropped by a whopping 34 per cent. According to figures obtained from the county council, the county has seen an almost 50 per cent drop in the number of planning applications lodged this year and the local authority has been hit with drop of €328,000 in income from planning fees. The number of planning applications received by the council in the first six months of this year amounted to 996, down from 1,909 in the same period in 2008. In the first six months of last year, there were 52 applications for housing developments but this dropped to 30 in the same period this year. The number of permissions sought for individual housing units has dropped from 456 in the first half of 2008 to 285 this year. Other applications, mainly for commercial building, have dropped from 889 to 507. The fall-off in the number of applications made to the council has also resulted in a massive drop in income for the council. In the first half of 2008, the local authority took in €963,000 in planning fees while the income for the same period this year has fallen to just €635,000. The council"s income from fire safety certificates, which applies to commercial premises only, has dropped this year by a massive 82 per cent and is down to €50,000 from last year"s figure of €278,000. The Mayor of Navan, Cllr Joe Reilly, said the collapse in planning applications would have a serious financial effect on the council"s ability to provide services. He warned it would affect road structure, services and grants to community sporting and environmental groups. 'This Government replaced direct taxation with indirect taxation and when the economy collapses it means that we cannot provide services,' he said. Cllr John Farrelly expressed concern at the drastic drop in income from planning fees and said the Government had created a situation where local authorities had become over dependant on such fees. 'The economy is in a tailspin and the banks don"t have the money to lend to people. We see it in our own business, there are very few sales taking place,' Cllr Farrelly, who is an auctioneer, pointed out. 'When you have the problems with banks not lending and a rudderless Government like we have at the moment, this problem will continue for some years,' he warned. Cllr Shane Cassells said the figures were bad but were a reflection of the economic times that we are in. However, he said that hope was on the horizon with a number of major projects now in the pipeline for Navan, including major developments planned for the Trim Road, Carriage Road, Navan O"Mahony"s and Clonmagadden areas. 'These will boost commercial activity and create a lot of local impetus,' he predicted.