Blanket refusals under ‘locals-only’ housing rules set to change

Revisions are to be made shortly to highly restrictive ‘locals-only’ housing rules which will stop planning authorities from issuing blanket refusals to non-rural applicants.

In some counties, such as Kerry, scene of some of the country’s most extreme locals-only planning guidelines, the county council has refused planning on the grounds an applicant is not a native of an area.