Bord Pleanála overturn planning for 76% one-off houses

OVER three-quarters of the planning permissions for one-off houses granted by local authorities were overturned following objections to An Bord Pleanála, their latest annual report has revealed.

Local authorities around the country granted planning permission in 85% of all cases around the country in 2002.

But when appeals mainly by An Taisce were lodged with the planning board, 76% of the original local authority decisions were overturned.

In launching the new guidelines for the building of one-off houses in rural areas yesterday, Environment Minister Martin Cullen said he now wanted that figure drastically reduced from 76% to 10% each year.

"People who are born in an area, who live in an area and who contribute to an area, will be entitled to build their home in that area," Mr Cullen said.

But An Taisce insisted yesterday that its 90% success rate in appealing decisions on one-off rural houses in 2002 would continue despite the new planning guidelines.

As the National Trust, An Taisce has led the campaign in appealing one-off houses in the countryside, and they appealed 134 decisions made by local authorities to grant planning to single dwellings in 2002.

An Taisce's objections to these one-off houses were mainly on the grounds of hazards to public safety, public health or a breach of EU directives.

"None of the new guidelines published by Minister Cullen yesterday will change or reduce any of the grounds on which our appeals were upheld by An Bord Pleanála," An Taisce president Frank Corcoran said.

An Taisce's main objections have been to the quality of water or dangerous exits, and the new guidelines cannot overrule these objections, he added.

But the Irish Rural Dwellers Association, who have campaigned for over two years for a relaxation of the planning laws, have labelled An Taisce 'public enemy No 1' because of their continuous objection to one-off houses.

Irish Rural Dwellers Association founder Jim Connolly yesterday welcomed the new planning guidelines.

While Mr Connolly had not yet had time to study them in detail, he was hopeful they would tackle the rural housing crisis.

"We were given an input into the compilation of the guidelines and are hoping that the Minister has taken our proposals on board," Mr Connolly said.

But his association believes the big question is whether or not the planners and An Bord Pleanála will take on board the new guidelines.

"Experience has shown that, up to now, planners have ignored the national policy on rural housing, which was fairly benign, and support objectors like An Taisce," he said.