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Agricultural land being actively farmed before zoning by a local authority will not be subject to the 7% vacant site levy, the Government has clarified.
Previous to this, a number of farmers in counties including Kilkenny, Limerick, Waterford and Laois were faced with paying the levy as their local authorities were using the Government ruling to claim that farmland fell under the “vacant and idle” definition.
The issue outraged farmers and resulted in a cost to many of them as they fought local authorities for the removal of the vacant site levy on their land.
The IFA lobbied Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy and Minister of State for Local Government John Paul Phelan on the issue.
Last Wednesday, the Seanad accepted an amendment to the Planning and Development Bill, which would see only land previously zoned for housing before purchase subject to a levy.
“The amendment targets developers or speculators who are hoarding zoned, serviced lands purchased for residential use,” Minister of State for Housing Damien English told the Seanad.
“While also allowing farmers who have operated their farm for a number of years prior to the rezoning from agricultural to residential to continue to operate the farm without liability to the levy…”
A number of local authorities had outraged farmers by applying the levy to active agricultural land, under the “vacant and idle” definition laid out in the original terms of the vacant site levy.
Minister English told the Seanad that the Government would ensure that the vacant site levy imposed on farmland by local authorities would be lifted.
“If land has always been been used for farming and was purchased before the register was established, it will not be levied,” Minister English stated.
“The amendment clarifies the matter, on which guidance notes will be given to local authorities.”
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