A proposal by Clare County Council to impose a string of levies that will result in large increases in the price of new homes was yesterday blocked by council members.
The proposed charges include a €11,950 levy on new homes in unzoned land in areas of depopulation, a €9,560 levy on new houses on zoned land in areas of rural depopulation and a levy of €4,780 on one-off houses outside towns and villages.
The council's head of planning, Mr Ger Dollard, told a meeting of the council that the levies would fund the €67 million needed to improve infrastructure throughout the county to 2009. The funding will be raised from the projected 4,500 houses that will be built in Clare by that date.
The scheme presented to councillors yesterday is to be repeated at local authorities throughout the country in the coming weeks. They will strive to adopt their respective Development Contribution Scheme by March of next year to comply with provisions contained with the 2000 Planning and Development Act.
However, the various levies to pay for road, sewage and water infrastructure improvements were yesterday described "as yet another stealth tax" by a number of councillors.
Cllr Patricia McCarthy (Ind) said the implications for house-buyers were "horrendous". Cllr Tom Burke (Fianna Fáil) said the proposals were "a draconian measure" which would drive more people to seek local authority and affordable housing.
The county manager warned councillors that, if they did not agree on a levy scheme, there would be no money for the council to put in place the infrastructural works. Councillors agreed to defer putting the development contributions scheme on display until October 28th.
