THE SIGNIFICANT LOOSENING of rules around one-off housing will allow those who have an economic or social need to live in a rural location, including returning emigrants, to build a house.

Tánaiste Simon Harris has said the government is preparing the “biggest overhaul of rural housing rules in two decades” to make it easier for families to build one-off homes.

At a Fine Gael parliamentary party meeting on Wednesday evening, Harris said that they represent a fundamental shift away from “overly rigid and restrictive planning practices that have held rural communities back for too long.”

It is expected the government’s new National Planning Statement will no longer allow local authorities to impose restrictions on ribbon and back land development.

They will also remove the caps on the number of homes that may be built on farm holdings.

The Journal understands that there will also be a loosening of the definition of what satisfies an economic or social need, thereby allowing more people to build in areas where they are from or where they work without the need to have an agricultural enterprise.

Returning emigrants

Significantly, the government will enable those from a given rural area to build on their land, regardless of whether they are farming or not. The changes will also mean that returning emigrants from a certain area will also be permitted to build. 

James Browne and John Cummins are finalising the changes and will bring them to cabinet in early June.

It will be later in the year that the rule changes come into effect.

Currently, approximately 5,000 one off homes are built annually, but with the relaxation of these rules, it’s expected that number will increase considerably.

Minister of State for Planning John Cummins has said the changes being brought forward are about making the rural housing planning process fairer, clearer and easier for people right across the country.

“For too long, the system has been overly restrictive and inconsistent between local authorities, creating unnecessary barriers for individuals and families who simply want to build a home in their own community,” he said. 

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The updated approach will standardise the process nationwide and provide much greater clarity on the grounds upon which planning permission should be granted, added the minister. 

Removing red tape

“We will be removing some of the red tape that has frustrated applicants for years and ensuring there is a more practical, common-sense system in place.

“Our priority is to support people, not put obstacles in their way. That is exactly what myself and Minister Browne are committed to delivering through these reforms,” said Cummins. 

The restrictions have been the source of frustration over many years, the Fine Gael leader told his TDs, senators and MEPs.

Last year, Taoiseach Micheál Martin indicated the changes on one-off housing were being drawn up. It was a marked departure from previous policies under the last government, which included the Green Party, who were strongly opposed to building large numbers of one-off rural houses.