Planning Changes For Rural Housing Welcomed by WCC Chief Executive

The Chief Executive of Wexford County Council says changes to planning laws around rural housing will make the system more "flexible" for everyone.

Under proposals brought to Cabinet by Housing Minister James Browne this week, restrictions around building in the countryside have been lessened to allow people to stay in their local area.

As things stand, a planning applicant in rural Wexford must show they have lived within 7 kilometres of the area they intend to build for at least 7 years.

The distance requirment has been extended meaning applications up to 10 kilometres will now be considered.

Reacting to the news, the head of WCC Eddie Taaffe says this rule change will make it easier to get housing where it needs to be.

"I think we have a good track record in this county of applying as flexible an approach as possible to rural housing.

"So this will allow us to be a little more flexible in those areas which is to be welcomed."

Mr Taaffe also feels these rules will make it easier to have a whole country approach to this issue instead of deciding planning decisions on a county by county basis.

"Each county has it's own development plan with their own sets of criteria whereby there are allowances or restrictions depending on your point of view when it comes to rural housing.

"This is an attempt to bring a simplicity and complicity across the country to planning."

Mr Taaffe also sounded a note of caution that just because the rules are being relaxed, it doesn't mean there will be a planning free-for-all.

He says objections will still happen but they'll try to accommodate as many people as they can.

"Obviously a planning application has to be able to demonstrate there's no road safety impacts, environmental impacts, the sightlines are there for your access onto the road.

"Those sort of development standards that we apply, obviously still apply. So when people are refused, when we do have to refuse planning permission, it might be for those reasons."

That report was funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.