In this article we cover:

  • The latest update on the government’s proposed rural housing rules
  • Why the new policy has yet to be finalised
  • Proposed changes to ribbon and backland development
  • How local-needs criteria could be relaxed for rural homebuilders
  • What the new rules could mean for planning applications
  • Why there is still no confirmed date for implementation

Ireland’s department of housing has confirmed that the government’s proposed new rural housing planning rules are still undergoing environmental assessment, with no date provided for when they will come into effect.

The government agreed a proposed policy direction for rural and gaeltacht housing on June 30, with the new national planning statement intended to bring greater consistency to planning decisions across the country.

However, four months later, the department has confirmed that the proposed policy has yet to undergo public consultation and must still receive final government approval before it can be introduced.

The planned overhaul could have significant implications for people hoping to build one-off homes in rural areas.

Proposals discussed ahead of the government’s June agreement included relaxing restrictions on ribbon development, where houses are built along existing roads, and allowing more homes to be built behind existing properties, known as backland development.

The earlier proposals also included broadening the criteria used to establish a person’s need to live in a rural area, potentially making it easier for people with family or community connections, including returning emigrants, to secure planning permission.

The issue of local-needs criteria has been a longstanding source of frustration for rural applicants, with different interpretations of the rules across local authorities.

The proposed changes were also seen as a way of recognising changing working patterns, including the growth in remote working, which has made it possible for more people to live outside major towns and cities.

However, the proposed reforms would not mean an automatic right to build in the countryside, with normal planning considerations and restrictions still expected to apply.

In response to a request for an update on the policy’s progress, a department of housing spokesperson said the draft Sustainable Rural and Gaeltacht Housing National Planning Statement is currently undergoing environmental assessment under the relevant EU directives.

The department said the draft statement and associated environmental documentation will be published for public consultation before the policy is finalised and brought back to government for approval.

Once introduced, the new national policy will need local authorities to review their county development plans and amend them where significant inconsistencies arise.

The department also said the final statement would be reflected in decisions on planning applications and appeals, even before county development plans are formally updated.

However, no date has been provided for the commencement of public consultation, final government approval or implementation of the new rules.