AT A TIME when housing dominates kitchen table conversations and national debate, the role of Local Authorities and in particular, the senior executive teams within them, in planning for housing in our cities, towns and villages has never been more critical.

While much attention is rightly paid to construction capacity, affordability and output numbers, there is a less visible but fundamental issue that must be addressed urgently – zoning sufficient land for development.

Zoning may not capture headlines or spark daily discussion among the public, but its importance cannot be underestimated.

Without adequate land zoned for housing, no amount of funding, policy ambition or private sector capacity will allow us to meet the needs of our growing population.

If residentially zoned land is not there, the homes simply cannot follow. It is a fundamental raw material for the construction sector.

In July, Housing Minister James Browne and I wrote to all local authorities to clearly set out what was required of them.

The message was straightforward; councils must commence a variation of their development plans and ensure that sufficient, serviced and readily serviceable land is zoned for activation.

This was not optional or a box-ticking exercise. It is a central pillar of our national response to the housing challenge.

The Ministerial Guidelines identify the national housing growth requirements identified for each local authority based on the........

© TheJournal