Keep Tipp housing local
They are responding to increasing demand for one-off houses, which is pushing up prices, and threatening to put housing beyond the reach of many locals a phenomenon which is already well established across much of Ireland, especially in tourist areas.
"An element of 'need' so that the available sites could be preserved for the people that have roots of some description in some particular area" was called for by Paddy Heffernan, Planning and Environment Director with North Tipperary County Council, at the council's recent conference on one-off rural housing.
In many areas, demand for holiday homes for tourists is pushing prices out of reach of locals. But in North Tipperary, the proximity of Limerick City is the big influence on the housing market.
"When people are coming into the county, particularly into the county from places like Limerick, it means the amount of sites available for one-off housing is decreasing.
"The demand is greater and is driving up the price of sites for local people who might not be able to compete in such a market," said Mr Heffernan.
Planning systems where applicants' connections to local areas are taken into account already exist in a number of counties
"I would hate to see someone from a local area being refused permission to live in the area. But what happens is that if you allow more and more one-off houses in an area there comes a time when someone says, 'it's time to say stop now'.
In that situation, you finish up refusing locals and giving permission to people with no ties to the area," said Mr Heffernan.
John Greer, a senior lecturer in the School of Environmental Planning at Queen's University in Belfast said one-off rural housing reduces the demand for public sector housing and helps to regenerate rural areas.
He also highlighted the inadequacies of the British planning model in Ireland, where owners of one-off house benefit from low construction costs, low design costs and greater privacy than in urban areas.
John Ducie, Vice Chairman, An Taisce, said one-off rural housing "undermines the social fabric of a community."
He said that for every ten minutes spent driving, a person will spend 10% less time involved with their local community, and 10% more time watching television.
"Tourism could also be hit by one-off rural housing, said Mr Ducie. "The tourist will come to see a distinctive Celtic landscape and not concrete houses."
Minister for Defence Michael Smith stood over the White Paper on Rural Development, as a member of the Government, a rural dweller and a Tipperary man.
He said the Paper clearly underpins the right of people to live in rural Ireland." He said the recently published National Spatial Strategy would rebalance social and economic trends.
"The gateways and hubs that have been identified for investment, if they evolve as intended, will see benefits trickle down to rural areas. Local representatives have a crucial role to play in fostering the Strategy and turning it to the benefit of the communities they serve."
"To those involved in the development of planning regulations, I would say by all means take physical considerations into account, but also foster the conditions where people feel they belong," Minister Smith said.
