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Planners advice not consistent

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  • 27-09-2022 2:43pm
    #1
    chopperlynch44
    Registered Users Posts: 1 ✭


    Hello, looking for some advise please. My partner has lived in an area in rural Ireland all his life, looking to build on family farm land. Appointed an architect, got plans drawn up, had a pre-planning meeting to be told he could pick any site on land, a specific site was shown to her, she advised a storey and a half would work there and gave a list of specific documentation to submit to satisfy local needs. We did all that, designed our dream house and got refused on design and site lines. Not ideal but I could see the issue with the design. It was a bit long (put in a car port attached to garage) so took it on chin and asked for a meeting to review refusal reasons and how we could move forward with a new application.

    Planner (different one) was very positive (based on the summary we got from our architect, we could not attend Teams call as during covid!), gave us some specific advice on changing design to a bungalow, keep around the 200sqm, more modest. He was positive on the choice of site, local needs and told us to design a H shape house as it would work better (its an elevated site).

    We did all of this (and spent €9k on additional topo and traffic survey to satisfy sight lines issue) and got refused again with 3 new points. Site was not suitable (a conversation with planner by our Councilor indicated that we had been told this in previous correspondence but categorically were not), local needs were not met and sight lines issue was not satisfied. These have obviously confused and frustrated us as they contradicted EVERYTHING we have been told to date.

    We have no idea where to go from here, we have calls in to our Councilor, a planning consultant to give us some independent advice but so we just have to put up with theri decision, should appeal to ABP or just suck it up and choose another site? Any advice welcome.

    Thanks

    Chopper



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    #2
    mike_2009
    Registered Users Posts: 533 ✭✭✭mike_2009


    That's a nasty experience. Public services at their finest! As it's your second run at the planning process I'd be thinking of ABP at this stage. And if they refuse walk away. To another County if you can, get a different set of planners!! Local needs is still an issue, and all the torture it causes. One off rural housing seems to be getting harder to get each year.

    I'd say set a final budget for this project and stick to it, a war chest if you will and when it runs out move on. Unless there is a very different way you can locate the house on the site to still get the views but push it out of the sightlines to keep the planner happy but you still have local needs hurdles to jump. ABP and then exit would be my suggestion.

    Start again elsewhere / take the same design to another plot if that would work if your Architect would allow you to save costs in doing so. Will need to check County Development Plan and see where you more likely to get permission / look at renovations vs demolish / rebuild options when selecting sites.

    Best of luck!



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