Mr. John O'Mahony:

On the planning issue in regard to towns, etc., when speaking about higher density, we are speaking about place making and about introducing a new type of housing into towns and villages. When it comes to drafting our local area plans, they should be 3D rather than two dimensional. The plans need to examine all sorts of issues such as public open space, heights, location of amenities etc. This should become part of a more detailed planning. The LDA is a good body that might act as a monitoring body with oversight in regard to the delivery of social housing and how and where it is to be delivered. Mr. O'Neill, with whom I am working on a project, mentioned regulation and how to reduce the cost of housing so that it becomes more affordable. As architects, there are models that we work on. Taking density and the levels and graduations of density, up to approximately 100 units per ha can be built using domestic methods of construction such as walk-up apartments, a mix of housing, apartments and duplex units, which is ideal in certain suburban areas. Using those methodologies, one is attempting to control the cost of housing. Construction starts to get expensive when we move away from the small builder being able to build using domestic forms of construction. These are areas where we as architects can effectively work with builders and quantity surveyors to start delivering models of housing that just about fall into the affordability model. Some good examples were built before the bust, which used public private partnership, PPP, medium density housing, domestic forms of construction and removed underground parking and so on to make construction affordable. Hopefully, some of that work will feature in the report on regulation for larger housing schemes.

On cross-subsidisation and the concern that the LDA will be opaque in the manner in which it conducts its business, I agree that its planning remit is open. The SHD process is working well. As practitioners, we see it working very effectively and delivering very quickly. If the lessons that are learned from that are passed in two or three years, assuming its lifespan will be extended, when the agency ceases operating, it will be a job well done. In regard to the LDA, I do not see any reason legislation should fail to ensure that there is complete public oversight of all elements of its workings.