Cllrs fear ‘15 acre’ rule is likely to be introduced despite their objections

Government policy now leans towards a severe curbing of one-off housing

PAUL MURPHY

Proposals put forward by planners that future applicants for one-off housing in rural areas of Meath will have to own a minimum of 15 acres are eventually likely to go through even though councillors voted against those plans at a meeting last week.

Council officials proposed the new land ownership rule as part of the county’s new development plan for the next six years which is under discussion at the moment.

Councillors have been discussing the proposed new plan for the last few weeks and these debates over the future planning shape of the county will run into the new year.

Last Thursday councillors voted by 23-11 ro reject the officials’ proposals which, if put into operation, would see drastic curtailment of one-off housing in rural areas.

The debate among councillors was intense with some arguing to hold the council line on doing away with one-off housing in the countryside and others leaning strongly towards constituents who want to hold onto what they see as their traditional “right” to build a house in a rural area.

After several days of debate, a number of independent councillors led by Cllr Brian Fitzgerald tabled a motion which called for the current policy – one-off houses based on local need – to be maintained. That policy is enshrined in the 2013-19 County Development Plan but Government policy has now steered directly towards a severe curbing of one-off housing in rural places.

While cllrs firmly defended the existing rural housing policy, the Minister responsible along with the Office of the Planning Regulator are likely to intervene to force the county council to adopt the 10 and 15-acre requirement which has been passed by the Oireachtas.

Attempts to curb the growth of one-off housing in country areas goes back more than 40 years to a study carried out by An Foras Forbatha which contrasted the cost of servicing closely-knit housing developments with dispersed (one-off) houses.

Costs were much higher for delivery to the one-offs – mail deliveries 3.5 times more expensive, waste collection 2.5 times, phone and electricity connections between two and five times, footpath and public lighting provision 11-15 times.

In the proposed development plan for Meath, the development of “nodes” (small clusters of houses in designated areas mainly near villages) is proposed.

In the current development plan (2013-19) the construction of graigs (small clusters of housing) is enshrined but the suggested locations never appeared on maps and some councillors regarded this policy as a failure.

REACTION - Voices from the Council

Cllr Sean Drew (FF):

“The vast majority of the councillors are supportive of the existing policy for one-off rural housing being retained for the duration of the new 2021-2027 county development plan.

“Regrettably, the policies that have been enacted by central government have statutorily restricted our ability as councillors to retain the continuation of the existing one-off rural housing.”

Cllr Aisling Dempsey (FF):

“I would love to say let’s leave it [policy] as it is – the status quo is easy. However, it is not the responsible thing to do. The responsible thing to do is to negotiate, debate, come to a compromise.

“The democratic thing is to comply with the legislation whether we like it or not. That is our duty, our responsibility, and actually our promise to the people who elected us.

“If this motion [to keep the existing one-off housing policy] is passed, let us be clear, we already know what will happen. It will be roundly rejected by the powers that be and this policy will be forced on the people of Meath.”

Cllr Noel French (FG):

“The proposed policy would seek to reduce the number of one-off houses in rural areas, Today the councillors cited two-to-one to go on more of a middle ground. However, this goes against the planners’ advice, the officials of the council and the Department. And this policy will be rejected by the department and the planning regulator.

Cllr Emer Toibin (Aontu):

“I’m not in favour of the [management] proposals put before us in the chamber. The local need criteria for one-off housing are very stringent and they work well. To attempt to put restrictions on building in rural areas would have a detrimental effect on the people of this county.”

Cllr Nick Killian (Ind):

“I am quoting Yeats when I say that a terrible beauty is being born in these proposals put forward by management. I have worked for all of the people of the county and I think this proposed policy is divisive.

“This is like Cyprus with the Turks in the North and the Cypriots in the South. This proposed policy divides the county and it is unacceptable to me. We have been elected by all the people of Meath and they don’t want this.”

Cllr Joe Fox (FG):

“We have to work within national and regional guidelines. We should all calm down and find a solution between all the motions put down by councillors. Nobody is trying to divide the county.”

READERS VOICES

Barry McGann: “You're forgetting about families like mine who have lived in rural lives all of our lives and our children need to be entitled to do the same. To deny our families the opportunity to live in their local communities is a disgrace.”

Therese O’Connor: “We should not have to force our children to move to the town if they have land to build on.”

Graham Sammy Morrissey: “Many people have not yet realised that only farm owners can give 10 of more acres to a family member to build a house on. It is just favouring the big land owners and no one else.

Robbie Doris: “The policy on housing generally fails those who are in need of local authority housing and those on low income who want to buy a house.