It is planned to remodel about 100 bars to build about 300 new residences, reports Breaking News.
Between 2018 and 2023, more than 1,100 notices were sent to local authorities about the conversion of commercial buildings into new dwellings.
The Department of Housing estimates that the structures might result in more than 2,700 dwellings across the nation, reports Breaking News.
The need for planning clearance was eliminated in 2018 when certain types of unoccupied commercial property may be converted into residential units thanks to planning exemptions.
The exemption was expanded in 2022 to permit the conversion of abandoned bars into residences. Local authorities received 92 notices about pubs in 2022 and 2023 with the goal of constructing 295 additional dwellings, reports Breaking News.
In all, 267 notices totalling 650 additional houses with the potential to be provided were sent to local authorities in 2023. 39 of them have to do with bars, creating 136 new dwellings.
Converting vacant buildings into “forever homes” is a crucial part of the government’s Housing for All policy, according to Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien.
These numbers demonstrate how policies that have loosened the planning requirements for those looking to turn vacant commercial space—including bars and pubs—into homes are assisting in boosting supply, reducing vacancy, and revitalising urban areas, reports Breaking News.
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