Offaly has the joint sharpest fall in planning applications according to National Housing Construction Index
The latest edition of the National Housing Construction Index compiled and issued by Link2Plans (www.link2plans.com) illustrates that Offaly has the sharpest decrease of planning applications in the country.
The team of researchers at www.link2plans.com have examined every housing construction planning application and planning commencement from January to April 2013, in the production of the National Housing Construction Index. The Index gives a direct comparison with the exact same period in 2012.
Offaly has the joint sharpest drop in applications by county along with Westmeath after falling 33% compared to January to April 2012. Offaly planning applications fell from 51 in January to April 2012 to 34 in the same period in 2013. Other countries that performed badly in the planning applications index are Westmeath, Laois, Limerick, Kerry and Wexford recording a fall of applications by 33%, 30%, 27%, 26%and 26% consecutively.
Compared to Offaly, the outlook is positive for particular pockets around the country which are experiencing an increase in commencements and applications. Although planning applications were down by 7% nationally, eight counties show significant increases with Dublin witnessing a rise of 10%. Although the National Housing Construction Index shows a decrease in planning applications, of the eight experiencing growth in this report seven saw an increase in both this report as well as the previous January to February 2013 report with Leitrim, Kildare, Monaghan, Roscommon, Cavan, Dublin, Kilkenny and Longford showing a consistent increase in planning applications. This shows that 27% of counties in Ireland witnessed continuing increases in the numbers of applications lodged.
Nevertheless, according to the Managing Director of Link2Plans, Danny O’Shea, the index shows that there is an overall trend of falling planning applications which may result in a fall in commencements. This may mean that commencements in Offaly could expect to fall further in the near future.
