Government expect new one-off rural housing policy to breathe life back into rural Ireland

 

The Government is proposing to make it easier for people in rural Ireland to build a second home on family land.

 

Draft new planning guidelines going before Cabinet today, would allow homeowners build a one-off house on the same site, to facilitate downsizing.

The new rules will no longer allow local authorities to impose restrictions on ribbon and back land development or put caps on the number of homes that may be built on a farm.

 

The policy will also advice councils against fixing the limits on how many houses can be built in an area.

 

Minimum road frontage requirements are to be scrapped, as are minimum site sizes for rural houses to be built.

 

Later today a memo will be brought to cabinet on the national planning statement draft.

A person looking to build a new single rural house will have to show a social need to live in the area, where a person can display they have strong local ties.

They must have lived in the rural area for a long time (up to 10 years, either all at once or over time). The site for the new house should also be in or near that area — generally up to 10km from where they currently live or originally come from.

 

A person can also display an economic need. An example would be somebody whose main job depends on living in a rural area, and they need to live close to their workplace.

 

In Gaeltacht areas such as parts of Donegal, the person must live within 3km of the site and must have lived there for 10 years. This can be relaxed to 5 years for people who speak Irish and can show a local need. It is understood this is to help protect and support the Irish language in these areas.

 

Minister of State for Planning and Local Government, John Cummins, says it forms part of a wider overhaul of planning policy for rural and Gaeltacht communities.

Government expect new one-off rural housing policy to breathe life back into rural Ireland
&nbsp;
The Government is proposing to make it easier for people in rural Ireland to build a second home on family land.
&nbsp;
Draft new planning guidelines going before Cabinet today, would allow homeowners build a one-off house on the same site, to facilitate downsizing.
The new rules will no longer allow local authorities to impose restrictions on ribbon and back land development or put caps on the number of homes that may be built on a farm.
&nbsp;
The policy will also advice councils against fixing the limits on how many houses can be built in an area.
&nbsp;
Minimum road frontage requirements are to be scrapped, as are minimum site sizes for rural houses to be built.
&nbsp;
Later today a memo will be brought to cabinet on the national planning statement draft.
A person looking to build a new single rural house will have to show a social need to live in the area, where a person can display they have strong local ties.
They must have lived in the rural area for a long time (up to 10 years, either all at once or over time). The site for the new house should also be in or near that area &mdash; generally up to 10km from where they currently live or originally come from.
&nbsp;
A person can also display an economic need. An example would be somebody whose main job depends on living in a rural area, and they need to live close to their workplace.
&nbsp;
In Gaeltacht areas such as parts of Donegal, the person must live within 3km of the site and must have lived there for 10 years. This can be relaxed to 5 years for people who speak Irish and can show a local need. It is understood this is to help protect and support the Irish language in these areas.
&nbsp;
Minister of State for Planning and Local Government, John Cummins, says it forms part of a wider overhaul of planning policy for rural and Gaeltacht communities.

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