Planning Permission - Personal Circumstances?

kyla123

HI guys

Just wondering if anyone knows if know if council's take personal circumstances into account when deciding whether or not to grant planning -

wyndham

Generally not but it depends on the nature of the application.

ie If somebody needs a wheelchair ramp and any associated works they would not refuse but if somebody wants to build a house in the field next to their parents because they just got married and want to start a family, it's not really relevant/an issue.

paulocon

kyla,

I don't think personal issues come into the equation at all.
Being from an area/working in an area etc. are all covered under Local Needs Requirements but after that, I would imagine each application is assessed in a pretty standard method..

kyla123

yeah i thought as much - ohwell thanks for replies

Mellor

I think it would depend on the nature of the application.
The wheelchair rap and similar works are a good explaination.
But as it was previously pointed out, alot of items would be covered under local needs.
It would help if we knew a little more about the application but you probably don't want to go into detail.

edengarden

I don't mind going into detail - i am a single parent and live with my parents in a rural area. Until recently i was on a council housing list but took myself off as my salary has improved - I want to build but it is essential that i remain near my parents as i depend on them so much i.e they bring and collect my daughter to and from school while i work and look after my child after school i can't afford to buy a detached house with decent size garden and this is my only hope but planning is next to impossible in my area.

paulocon

Hi edengarden,

Couple of things here..
You most definitely have a housing need, that should be simple enough to demonstrate. What could be a factor is local needs, i.e. are you from the area, have you ties with the area etc..

This will also depend on the area you are in, i.e. whether it is a 'pressure area'...

Have a look at the Sustainable Rural Housing Guideline, you should be able to Google it or you can find a link to it on www.sitesforsale.ie (Useful Info).

In a case like this, it would be very worthwhile organising a meeting with the planning office to talk through the options.

up for anything

I have two friends in different counties but both were in much the same position as you. One who is divorced with three children got a site from her brother and when she put in her planning application wrote a letter with it explaining her situation that she could just about afford to build but not to buy - I think she also put in a mild threat that she would be looking for council housing if permission was refused. She got her full planning permission within six weeks of the application going through with no conditions.

The other in the process of legal separation put in that although she could afford to build she could not afford to buy or rent privately and that she needed to stay in the area to minimise disruption to the children's already disrupted lives. She got hers pretty quickly and without a ton of conditions.

They do have a heart or at least a life line to the overburdened office of public housing.