Ghost estates 'plagued by health threats'

A quarter of housing estates thrown up in recent years are plagued by serious health threats including open sewerage and water contamination, a Government survey signalled today.

The stark preliminary findings of a national study of so-called ghost estates are being pored over by officials charged with clearing up the mess left by boom-time developers.

While councils will be handed the power to seize control of the worst unfinished developments, the National Assets Management Agency (Nama) will take over the lion’s share.

Official inspectors are visiting the sites and drawing up a detailed map of every housing estate granted planning permission in the last five years.

Planning Minister Ciaran Cuffe has ordered a full report for next month but a pilot study of Co Laois that has just landed on his desk already suggests the scale of the problem.

It found that:

* A fifth of newly-completed homes are without adequate water, sewage or road access.

* There are public health and safety fears at 25% of sites surveyed, including open sewers, open manholes, water contamination and unsecured building sites.

* It was found that 30% of housing developments recently completed lie vacant.

* Construction has not started in four out of ten houses granted planning permission.

The Department of Environment expects the findings will be echoed in the countrywide survey, which will include a county-by-county breakdown, expected in September.

It was initially believed developer bonds or securities would finance an overhaul of half-finished estates.

The money is supposed to be lodged with local authorities to guarantee housing estates will be properly completed.

But the survey has revealed a “maverick culture” where speculators simply ignored pre-conditions and pressed ahead with their plans, according to one senior official.

While a lot of bonds were not paid at all, in other cases they were so minuscule that they are now deemed irrelevant given the scale of the clean-up operation.

“A lot of developers didn’t even pay bonds,” said one Government official.

“Even in some cases where there were conditions to pay bonds, a lot of them just went ahead and started developing without discharging any of the pre-commencement conditions.

“They just went ahead and did it.”

The preliminary findings also suggest the “lion’s share” of unfinished developments will eventually be taken over by Nama.

The Department of Environment believes planning permission will elapse on many of the estimated 620 ghost estates in the coming years.

The State toxic assets agency will then have to decide whether to seek extensions if they are to be completed.

In such circumstances, the new Planning Act will allow local authorities to set new bonds.

Otherwise, councils will be allowed to take charge of the estates and – if they can find the money – complete unfinished roads and sewerage as well as demolish half-finished houses.

In both cases, it appears the taxpayer will pick up the bill.

Mr Cuffe said the soon-to-be-completed national survey will provide him with the evidence needed to properly deal with the haunting legacy of the construction boom.

“It’s one thing having completed but unsold houses in your estate, however, it’s far more serious a problem where half of the estate remains a building site and where there are open sewers, unsecured half-built units and other difficulties,” he said.

“I think that this national survey, the results of which I expect to receive in September, will once and for all clarify both the extent and range of problems that these unfinished houses are throwing up, and what actions can be taken,” he said.

Mr Cuffe has also ordered detailed guidance be drawn up for local authorities and other agencies on their statutory powers concerning public safety, environmental protection, building control and developer bonds.

“We mustn’t forget that this is not just a planning issue, but one that has a direct impact on families and communities, and the focus of this work should be on improving their difficult situations and their quality of life,” he said.