The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, has published figures which show that local authorities received 1,165 notifications to convert vacant commercial premises into new homes between 2018-2023.
The government believes these notifications have the potential to result in 2,716 new homes across the country.
'Planning Burden'
“Converting empty buildings into forever homes is a key component of Housing for All," said Minister O'Brien.
"These figures show that policies which have eased the planning burden for those who wish to convert unoccupied commercial premises, including pubs, into residential use are helping to increase supply, tackle vacancy and renew urban areas."
Vacant Pubs
Planning exemptions introduced in 2018, removed the requirement for planning permission for the conversion of certain types of vacant commercial property into residential units.
In 2022, the exemption was extended to allow vacant pubs to be converted into homes.
Local Authorities
In 2022 and 2023, 92 notifications relating to pubs were received by local authorities with the intention to create 295 new homes.
Overall, in 2023, local authorities received 267 notifications with the potential to provide 650 new homes (39 related to pubs which could create 136 homes).
'New Apartments'
"I’ve visited counties and got to see first-hand the impact of turning what was once a vacant pub into five or six new apartments," said Minister O'Brien.
"It makes sense to provide the exemptions and to make it easier for people to convert commercial buildings into high-quality homes."
