EARLIER THIS WEEK it was announced that detached cabins and modular-style buildings placed at the end of people’s gardens could be made exempt from planning permission under new measures being considered by the government.

Currently, planning exemptions allow a 40-square-metre extension to the rear of a property once it’s attached to the house.

John Cummins, the new junior minister at the Department of Housing with responsibility for planning, wants new planning regulations which would remove the requirement for the extension to be attached to the main dwelling.

There is an acknowledgement that such a measure will only be appropriate in certain settings where there is sufficient space to the rear of the property, as reported by The Journal on Wednesday.

Sources were at pains to emphasise this is not viewed as a silver bullet in terms of housing solutions but that modular-style structures could work well for some, such as parents with adult children living at home.

However, some people have questioned how – if the rules are changed – such structures would be regulated. For example, a substandard dwelling could be rented out to vulnerable people with no other housing options by a person whose main concern is making a profit.

More details of the planned scheme are likely to be teased out in the coming months.

In the meantime, we want to hear from readers who have experience of living in modular housing in a garden or other similar location.

• Do you live in a cabin or modular unit? Or have you ever done so?
• When and for how long?
• Why did you choose to do so?
• Was it a good or bad experience?

If you have a story to share, please contact The Journal by emailing answers@thejournal.ie.

Please describe your experience in a paragraph or two (around 200-250 words), and include your name and county – let us know if you’d like to remain anonymous. Your email (or part of it) may be included in an article on The Journal.