Planning in rural Cork ‘too restrictive’, say local Councillors

Rural parts of Co Cork are rapidly ageing as young people cannot build houses because planning guidelines are too restrictive.

Councillors have claimed it is a “mortal sin” to propose building a one-off house on an elevated site, yet there is no problem with developing massive windfarms on hillsides.

They have also claimed farmers are being consistently refused permission to build on their own land and emigrants who were forced to go abroad to find work can’t get permission when they return to their villages.