The government has been urged to publish new rural housing planning guidelines which include the “right to build, subject to appropriate assessment”, by a member of the Seanad.
Senator Victor Boyhan, who is a member of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, said that currently securing planning permission to build a house in rural Ireland “is very challenging”.
He said while new housing guidelines should “balance environmental and social concerns” in relation to housing and planning policy they should also be “appropriate to the needs of existing rural communities and island communities”.
Senator Boyhan told Agriland that the issue of one-off housing has not yet been addressed in terms of revised planning guidelines, and this is “a big frustration” for anyone who wants to build a one-off house on their family land.
He said current guidelines are “no longer fit for purpose” and called on the government to honour its commitment to publish new national rural housing planning guidelines.
“The economic and social benefits for families being able to build a home and raise a family close to an aging population in rural areas needs to be acknowledged and factored into rural housing policy.
“While rural housing cannot be permitted in every area for every person, those who have a genuine need must be given the option to live and work on the family farm, or on family lands in their native rural district,” Senator Boyhan said.
He believes that many areas throughout the country are in decline because of the lack of clarity on a sustainable housing policy.
The senator said he believes current problems are also compounded by “the inconsistencies of approach by different planning authorities and indeed amongst individual planners in the same planning authority”.
“I know the current restrictive policies for rural planning are a serious impediment to those wanting to return to their rural communities, affordability is another consideration, given that many would benefit from a family gift of a potential site to build a home,” he added.