Hopes for Leitrim to benefit from changes to one-off housing rules

A housing policy shift set to take place in the coming months is hoped to pave the way for the delivery of homes in rural areas including across Leitrim.

Public representatives from rural communities have been calling for changes regarding one-off housing, advocating for people to be allowed to build homes on their own land.

Restrictive planning rules on obtaining permission for one-off housing in rural areas have left many unable to create a life in the communities where they grew up.

The rules for building one-off housing in rural areas are set to be relaxed by summer in an effort to increase the number of rural homes, according to Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD.

Changes are due to be brought forward within the next 12 weeks, with the proposed guidelines set to be mandatory for all local authorities.

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Councillor for the Ballinamore area, Paddy O’Rourke, has welcomed the proposed changes to the planning regulations, noting that the Green Party, under the previous government, opposed the building of more houses rurally.

“I am pleased to see Minister James Browne has brought forward proposed changes to the planning regulations which relaxes some of the blockages to one off housing,” said Cllr O’Rourke.

“Many of which were introduced as the behest of the Green Party when they were in government within which they seemed to have an undue influence and many of which choose to ignore the traditional settlement pattern practiced by the Irish people for generations,” he added.

He noted that these changes will be welcomed by existing rural dwellers, adding that if the current policy had been allowed to continue, it would only have been a matter of time before services to those areas were discontinued, “thus plunging those residing there into isolation.”

The planning regulations are not solely responsible for the low number of houses in rural Leitrim, according to Cllr O’Rourke. “The EPA Code of Practice regarding the site suitability for conventional septic tanks would probably have blocked a greater number of houses,” he said. 

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However, “This move from the Minister is very much to be welcomed and should remove the necessity of intending home owners to demonstrate a housing need along with a connection with the area,” he added.

“While details are still awaited, the principal of the proposed relaxation is very welcome and should assist in helping to retain rural populations across the county,” concluded Cllr O’Rourke.