Peter McVerry Trust calls for extension to planning permission waiver
A charity will have to stop converting vacant shops and offices into homes unless a planning permission waiver is extended past the end of the year.
Rules passed in 2018 allow a business premises to be used as a home if it's been empty for two years or more.
The Peter McVerry Trust has a list of 150 waiting to be converted -- but will only be able to get to a third of them by the time the scheme is due to end.
Pat Doyle, the charity's chief executive, is asking for an extra year.
"It was worthy of the previous Minister to bring it in in 2018.
"The need is still there, the properties are still there, it's a no brainer for the Minister to extend it.
"I've spoken to him, we've sent him the letter, we're hoping now that his department will consider it favourably and extend it.
"I think we should extend it until the numbers of homeless people come right down, because it's going to take us a long time to build 4,000 one bed units."
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