9.0 Reductions

9.0 Reductions

The following categories of development will attract a reduction in respect of development contributions:

• Frontage residential and commercial developments in the centre of towns and villages, the development of which represent an infill/gap site which would enhance the streetscape will be subject to reduced charges.
  
  - An infill/ gap site is defined as a ‘gap’ site in an otherwise continuous street frontage in an urban area, including towns and villages, where development would restore the integrity of an historic street plot pattern, or provide for a more coherent streetscape than currently exists. Applications of this type will be considered on their own merits in terms of their contributions to defining the street frontage in the core of urban areas including towns and villages. 
• Residential and commercial sites listed on the Derelict Sites Register in town and village centres
• Reduced rates for temporary permissions to be calculated as follows:
  - 33% or normal rate for permissions of up to 3 years
  - 50% of normal rate for permissions of up to 5 years
  - 66% of normal rate for permissions of up to 10 years.
• Renewable Energy schemes that are 100% community owned co-ops shall be granted a 50% exemption. This will be subject to a full rebate if the development is sold within 10 years.
• Residential and commercial buildings that achieve a BER rating in excess of A shall receive a discount of 5%. This shall be facilitated following certification of the completed building and will be deducted from the final phase payment.
• 25% reduction for marine related industry on strategic sites along the Shannon Estuary identified in the Limerick Development Plan.  Marine related industry shall be taken to include the use of the land for industry that, by its nature requires a location adjacent to estuarine/deep water including a dependency on marine transport, trans-shipment, bulk cargo to where the industrial processes benefit from a location adjacent to the marine area.
• 50% reduction will be applied to development where the applicant’s business is grant aided by the IDA/Enterprise Ireland or the Local Enterprise Office. Applicant’s agent shall provide documentation at application stage in order to expedite assessment and avail of this provision.

Note: Where a particular development comes within the remit of more than one category of reduced contributions, only one such reduction shall be applied.  In this instance, the Council shall apply the category where the greater percentage reduction applies.