Undeveloped Portlaoise sites liable for new levy

Three undeveloped Portlaoise ‘Celtic Tiger era’ sites should be turned into housing, a recent council meeting was told.

Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley raised the issue of the sites at Clonrooske Abbey, Woodgrove Lawns and Triogue Manor housing estates.  

Welcoming a new measure, the residential zoned land tax, which can tax the owner of such sites three percent of the market value of the land and applies from 2024 onwards, Cllr Dwane Stanley said these were the types of actions councillors should be pursuing.  

Cllr Dwane Stanely put down a motion asking that: “That Laois County Council include the following vacant sites on the new vacant sites register that's being compiled at present:- Site at Clonrooske Abbey Housing Estate; Site at Woodgrove Lawns Housing Estate and the two sites at Triogue Manor Housing Estate.”

She said the sites are remnants of the “Celtic Tiger era” which after the crash were left vacant. “They have become areas of blight where people start dumping unfortunately,” she remarked. 

“Given the fact that we are in the middle of a dreadful housing crisis, probably the worst we have seen in over 60 years. These particular three areas need to be brought into use and used for houses,” said Cllr Dwane Stanley. 

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Adding her support to the motion, Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald said, “it is not fair on the residents living in the estates, they are doing their best at keeping their estates. These vacant sites are unfair to people living in the area and then of course, there’s the obvious need for housing.”

Senior Executive Engineer, Wes Wilkinson read a response to the motion by Evelyn Brownrigg in the council’s planning department She stated that  “The three areas identified in the Notice of Motion have been identified on the RZLT mop prepared by Laois County Council. The sites are within "scope of the provisions of the residential Zoned land tax. Any person can make a submission on the lands identified in the maps by January 1" 2023 and the maps are available to view at the public planning counter, online ot www.laois.ie and on http://www.consult.laois.ie/. The following are the reference numbers for the sites; Triogue Manor LSLA00000021 and 20; Woodgrove LSLA000000275; Clonrooske Abbey-LSLA00000019”