Cork City Council billed a home renovation project €19k in council fees, as development levies are introduced on extension projects.
Renovation projects that increase the size of a Cork City house by more than 40sqm are now imputed development levies, reports The Echo.
Most local authorities only charge development levies for new builds; these go towards infrastructure and related charges incurred by the local authority as a result of the new development. These fees can run in the thousands of euros and are determined by each local authority.
A spokesperson for City Hall told the Echo: “if someone is redeveloping their family home and increased the floor area, they don’t pay contributions on the first 40 sqm of the development but they pay development contributions on the remaining floor area of the development,”
The Echo reports the change was voted in by councillors as part of an amended Development Contribution Scheme and Supplementary Development Contribution Scheme for 2020-2022. However, it is understood this change was not highlighted to councillors at the time.
Prior to September 14, people looking to increase the floor area of their home paid no contributions, says The Echo.
The paper also shares the story of one individual who planned to gut his family home (keep the façade and rebuild the internal structure) but would have had to pay €16,442.19 as a general contribution, and an additional €3,113.17 as part of the supplementary scheme to Cork City Council.
Payment within a year of commencement would result in a 20 per cent discount, but if he had received planning permission before September 14, he would not be facing that cost at all.
