Only locals, landowners and farmers need apply

In the first of a two-part series, Caroline O’Doherty details the differing views in the rural housing debate.

BY any standards, the case made by the young couple seeking to build their own home seemed a compelling one.

She was a public servant working in a small community, where she was heavily involved in voluntary activities. Dependant on her own car for transport, and with a progressive medical condition that would gradually diminish her ability to drive, her consultant had recommended she move within walking distance of her workplace.