Planners have raised concerns that allowing back garden homes to be rented out under new proposals could lead to unintended consequences and substandard accommodation.
Government to relax planning rules for back garden homes to increase housing
Allowing planning-exempted cabins in back gardens to be rented out privately could risk unintended consequences, a group representing planners has said.
The Government has proposed exempting modular units up to 45 square metres in size in gardens at the back of people’s homes.
It is understood that the Government initially intended for the proposals to free up planners to work on bigger, more urgent infrastructure projects.
There are discussions ongoing in Government whether to bring such dwellings under the Rent-a-Room Relief scheme, which allows someone who rents a room in their home out to earn up to €14,000 tax free.
Concerns have been raised by Threshold that “substandard” garden units could be rented out without appropriate inspections under the proposals, and that such “garden homes” should only be used by carers or family members.
The Irish Planning Institute has also raised concerns and said while a maximum floor space of 45 square metres has been outlined, there should also be a minimum “to avoid the creation of substandard accommodation”.
Senior planner Dr Sean O’Leary said it was also “not clear” how the planning-exempted dwellings would comply with building regulations.
“It is difficult to comment without seeing the detail of what is proposed, especially given the current exempted development regulations extend over dozens of pages,” said Dr O’Leary.
“While detached ‘backyard’ units were initially described as being for family members and may have been workable in limited circumstances, opening them up more widely risks unintended consequences for residential amenity, infrastructure, access, parking and enforcement etc.
“How will it be ensured that a wastewater treatment system has additional capacity for example and how will the implications for surface water runoff in our changing climate be considered?
“While maximum floor space has been discussed a minimum should also be specified to avoid the creation of substandard accommodation.
“How compliance with building regulations will be ensured is also not clear at this stage.
“If this proposal proceeds, any exemption should apply only to new development and should not be retrospective.
“There are a number of useful changes that can be made to exempted development but to be most effective these should be evidence led and developed in conjunction with the planning practitioners who will have to implement them on a day to day basis.”
Want to see more of the stories you love from Dublin Live? Making us your preferred source on Google means you’ll get more of our exclusives, top stories and must-read content straight away. To add Dublin Live as a preferred source, simply click here.
Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Comments are closed.