Developers willing to invest in the revitalisation of south Dublin’s villages could see a significant reduction in costs if a proposal to cut levies is accepted.

Fine Gael councillors Colm Brophy and William Lavelle are making a submission to South Dublin County Council that it cut levies by 50 per cent for new commercial developments in village centres such as Templeogue, Lucan and Rathfarnham.

Local authorities have the power to decide the rates of development contributions that must be paid to build in their areas. The current levies in south Dublin are €75/sq m for commercial development and €85.06/sq m for residential construction.

The council is taking submissions in relation to its new development contribution scheme, which will come into force next year until 2022. Mr Brophy and Mr Lavelle are proposing a cut to €37.50 per metre for commercial development in villages.

Urban centres

“The reason for this to promote and incentivise commercial development,” Mr Brophy said.

“In particular in the retail and hospitality sectors, in our traditional urban centres such as Lucan village and Templeogue village, which continue to face significant challenges in terms of competition from nearby out-of-centre shopping centres.”

While the cut would not apply to large shopping centres, the measure was not designed to discourage out-of-town shopping, which generally offered a different product to the village, he said.

“Both settings can contain a very different ‘retail offer’,” Mr Brophy said.

Different offer

“Whereas shopping centres are more likely to contain units linked to commercial chains, traditional urban centres can thrive by providing a very different offer built on niche retailing, fresh food, crafts, small offices, boutique coffee shops and restaurants, etc.”

However, he said small towns and villages in the area were under pressure with high vacancy rates, and smaller businesses in particular found it difficult to survive.

“The types of business likely to be situated in our traditional urban centres are less likely to be owned by commercial chains are more likely to be owned by individual entrepreneurs or family businesses,” Mr Brophy said.

“We feel that a substantial reduction in the commercial development contributions in village centre areas will reduce the costs of starting-up and expanding their businesses for individual entrepreneurs and family businesses,” he said.