Development charge hike hits budding homeowners

PROSPECTIVE homeowners in a boom county face another financial hurdle after a local authority more than doubled its development charges.

Kilkenny County Council has hiked up its charges by as much as 135% for anyone who wants to build a new home, or a commercial or industrial property in the county.

The increase will also impact on imminent hotel, nursing home and large agricultural developments in the county.

The minimum charge for a new house of 120 square metres now jumps from €1,268 to €3,000, and for home builders who want to be connected to the public water supply, the figure increases from €1,838 to €4,400.

Local developers are so concerned about the hike that they are to meet, under the umbrella of the Construction Industry Federation, with local council officials over the coming days.

However, the county council says the hike is necessary and charges in the county are still significantly lower than elsewhere in the country.

All money raised locally, which is estimated to run at around 26 million over the next four years, will be spent on public water supply, waste treatment, sport and recreation as well as libraries, museums and land acquisition, according to the council’s head of finance John Dempsey.

“The increases proposed are substantial. But they are only the second such increase in the past 15 years,” he said.

“People are building houses and that’s great. But we have to provide increased services to cope with this.

“Up to 50% of the money raised will be spent on county road developments. Another 25% will be spent on recreation, things like new and improved parks and playgrounds. Money would also go on urban and village renewal,” he said.

Mr Dempsey said that the balance would be pumped into improved waste water treatment plants in the area.