How Difficult is it to Get Planning Permission for Residential Dwelling?

Brontosaurus

How difficult is it typically to get planning permission to build your own house on, say, old disused agricultural land turned to scrub or an old woodland site?

It seems that the county council would prefer to build estates that no one can afford.

A second part to this is how biased would the county council be towards unconventional dwellings that still meet all the building regulations? I.E tiny homes, log homes etc.

In much of Europe, Canada, US, Australia etc. they've taken to building houses by unconventional means in order to help mitigate housing shortages.

Please spare me the time if you're invested in preventing people from building their own homes on their own land and want everyone to live stacked on top of each other.

loyatemu

Brontosaurus wrote: »

How difficult is it typically to get planning permission to build your own house on, say, old disused agricultural land turned to scrub or an old woodland site?

It seems that the county council would prefer to build estates that no one can afford.

A second part to this is how biased would the county council be towards unconventional dwellings that still meet all the building regulations? I.E tiny homes, log homes etc.

In much of Europe, Canada, US, Australia etc. they've taken to building houses by unconventional means in order to help mitigate housing shortages.

Please spare me the time if you're invested in preventing people from building their own homes on their own land and want everyone to live stacked on top of each other.

Wicklow CC have a "local needs" policy for building in rural areas, so it's very difficult to get planning if you are not already living there. This is to prevent "bungalow" blight and unsustainable linear development - you can agree or disagree with this but that's why the policy is there.

You can build on a site in a town or a village (and there are plenty of smaller villages around Wicklow that could use the extra people). As for unusual dwellings, you'd probably want to tallk to the planners in advance to see what is possible, if it meets the regulations then it may be permitted; there are plenty of unconventional houses around the country.

sydthebeat

• People who are part of the rural community should be
facilitated by the planning system in all rural areas, including
those under strong urban-based pressures,
• Anyone wishing to build a house in rural areas suffering
persistent and substantial population decline will be
accommodated,
• The development of the rural environs of major urban areas,
including the gateways and hubs identified in the NSS and
county and other larger towns over 5000 in population needs
to be carefully managed in order to assure their orderly
development and successful functioning into the future.

from http://www.irishspatialstrategy.ie/Rural%20Planning%20Guidelines%2013505.pdf

Lumen

Brontosaurus wrote: »

Please spare me the time if you're invested in preventing people from building their own homes on their own land and want everyone to live stacked on top of each other.

You want the regulations explained but only by people that agree with you?

BryanF

Op suggest you read around the forum.

Gravelly

Lumen wrote: »

You want the regulations explained but only by people that agree with you?

Probably more that the OP wants the regulations explained without a sermon from the "why can't everyone live exactly like I do" brigade.

Brontosaurus

Thanks guys will have a look around. Just doing my research.

Lumen wrote: »

You want the regulations explained but only by people that agree with you?

What I meant by that was, the majority of threads I've seen asking about log homes, tiny houses and alternative ways of living or living independently have often been shot down by people who were being less than helpful, going off of emotions rather than facts.

sydthebeat

Brontosaurus wrote: »

Thanks guys will have a look around. Just doing my research.





What I meant by that was, the majority of threads I've seen asking about log homes, tiny houses and alternative ways of living or living independently have often been shot down by people who were being less than helpful, going off of emotions rather than facts.

Completely the opposite in my experience.

Its the arguments for these log cabins that are based on emotion, mainly centered around the "why can't I do what I want on my own land" mantra, or "I'm going to live in it, not sell, so why do I need certification".


The arguments against these builds are very much based in fact. The planning process problems. The building regulation problems. The certification problems. The posters here giving these issues out are speaking from their experience of being involved in applications and builds of this nature.

At the end of the day, the fact these companies are so reluctant to highlight planning issues and give full prices for regulation compliant specifications is a huge indicator of the issues these builds have.

They offer these prefabs as a "drop and go" solution, yet NEVER deal with the planning or building reg issues which is inherent in them.

They are not timber frame stick builds, they are not marketed as such.

So the question is, should Ireland be happy to have "trailer park" type development like you'd see in poor areas of the USA.... With "dwellings" aimed at the poorest in society, usually paid for by the sub prime vultures.

The answer to that is a resounding NO.

we can have arguments over the cost of building in Ireland, and we can argue over the onerous regulations, but if you think there's a magic solution out there which will only cost you 10% of the standard build cost then more fool you.

BryanF

Brontosaurus wrote: »

Thanks guys will have a look around. Just doing my research.





What I meant by that was, the majority of threads I've seen asking about log homes, tiny houses and alternative ways of living or living independently have often been shot down by people who were being less than helpful, going off of emotions rather than facts.

Experience submitting planning applications and designing to building regulation for 15+ years in Munster region. Fact.

I’ve had clients who have ignored planning and dropped in a log cabin, only to spend the next ten years trying to regularise it, without success.

realdanbreen

Brontosaurus wrote: »

How difficult is it typically to get planning permission to build your own house on, say, old disused agricultural land turned to scrub or an old woodland site?

It seems that the county council would prefer to build estates that no one can afford.

A second part to this is how biased would the county council be towards unconventional dwellings that still meet all the building regulations? I.E tiny homes, log homes etc.

In much of Europe, Canada, US, Australia etc. they've taken to building houses by unconventional means in order to help mitigate housing shortages.

Please spare me the time if you're invested in preventing people from building their own homes on their own land and want everyone to live stacked on top of each other.

Well there are certain basics that your application must meet.
First is percolation, fail that and no joy. Also distance from bend in road, again fail that no joy. Another one ( and it can be a bit vague)is will a new house add extra traffic to the road.

looksee

If it is zoned agricultural, regardless of condition, you don't have local needs and there is no existing, qualifying house, you will not get planning permission.