One-off housing policy fails first test

A RADICAL approach by Limerick County Council to reduce one-off housing in rural areas has received a major set back on its first test.

Limerick County Council stipulates that a person applying for permission to build in a rural location must demonstrate that they have an unmet housing need in a case where they already have a house that the council deems sufficient for their needs.

The first refusal on the grounds of failing to demonstrate such a need for housing led to appeal to An Bord Pleanála, which overturned the council’s refusal, granting the applicant full planning permission.

Cllr Niall Collins, who recently tabled a motion to Limerick County Council seeking the deletion of this policy from the County Limerick Development Plan, said yesterday that the debate must be revisited in light of the An Bord Pleanála judgement.

Mr Collins said: “I previously sought unsuccessfully to have this policy changed. I feel that asking a planning applicant to demonstrate a ‘housing need’ whilst this remains undefined within the County Development Plan is grossly unfair and places all planning applicants at an immediate disadvantage from the outset.”

Mr Collins added: “It is my view that this policy is not being interpreted in the spirit in which it was intended.”

He said the public are not happy with the new policy.

“We have to look again at this policy in a critical fashion with a view to changing it,” he said.