The latest edition of the National Housing Construction Index compiled and
issued by Link2Plans
(www.link2plans.com
illustrates the continued decline in planning applications and housing
construction activity across Cork. The National Housing Construction Index
measures every submitted Planning Application and Planning Commencement
from January to February 2013. The Index gives a direct comparison with the
exact same period in 2012.
One key finding in the research by Link2Plans is that planning applications
in County Cork have decreased by 4% from the same period in 2012. This is
only marginally higher than the 3% national average fall. However Cork’s
planning commencements have dropped by 36%, a rate significantly higher
than national average of 14%.
Having said this, according to Managing Director of Link2Plans, Danny
O’Shea, “this volume of the National Construction Index shows that there
has been a slow down in the rate of decline in planning applications and
commencements. This is a trend that we saw in previous volumes of our
Index”. While the adverse weather conditions during the period of January
to February 2013 may explain why there was a fall in commencements, this
does not explain the huge reduction in planning applications made during
this period. However on a national level there are positive signs of
recovery. While the last index reported a growing number of planning
applications in one county only (Donegal), the latest figures show a marked
increase in eleven countries with Roscommon (65%), Leitrim (67%) and
Monaghan (75%) showing the biggest rise. If these trends continue into
2013, we could expect to see numbers potentially rising in the first half
of this year which is potentially very positive news for the sector as a
whole.”
Nationally planning applications are down by 3% and commencement notices
have fallen by 14%.
