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Planning Permission


When building any new house it is compulsory to get planning permission. It may save delays later if you talk to your local authority before you even start designing your house or at least before you make your application. Ask you're your ocal planning engineer to guide you as regards what is allowed and what would not be even considered in the area. If employing an architect, they will normally make the application on your behalf if you are using.

Consider what effect your house will have on the environment when planning your site and designing your house as this is one area your local planning department will be looking at in detail before permission is granted. Consider how the structure will fit with the existing landscape.

If there is no mains water or sewage consider the options available to you. When looking at Waste Management choose the system that would cause the least damage to the local environment.

Find out what the plans are for the area for the coming years. Ask the local planning department to show you the area development plan for the next few years so that you know what is planned for the area for the future.

There are three types of planning permission relevant in this situation: permission, outline permission and permission consequent on outline permission.
  1. Full planning permission
    This is the most common type. This is where you have all your plans and designs in place and you wish to go ahead with the construction.
  2. Permission following grant of outline permission
    Permission following the grant of outline planning permission is applied for when you are ready to go ahead with your design and have all the required documentation needed for a full permission.
  3. Outline planning permission
    If you want to see whether the planning authority agrees in principle to your building a house on a particular site or building a large extension, you might apply for outline permission. In this case you only have to produce the plans and particulars that are necessary to enable the planning authority to make a decision in relation to the siting, layout or other proposals for development.

    If you get outline permission you will have to submit detailed drawings and receive consequent permission before you start building work. Generally, outline permission has a three-year duration.
It is an offence to carry out any work that requires planning permission without planning permission, and the offence can carry very heavy fines and imprisonment. However, if a genuine mistake has been made, it is possible to apply for planning permission to retain an unauthorised development. This permission may be refused, in which case, the unauthorised development will have to be demolished.

Planning permission is usually valid for five years but this should be confirmed with your local planning department.

How to apply for your planning permission:

You can apply for your permission by filling in an application form and submitting it together with required documents to your local authority. You can apply on-line by visiting the web site of your Local Planning Department or www.reachservices.ie by submitting the required documentation to these above offices.

You will need to include:
  1. 6 copies of the application form fully completed and signed.
  2. 6 copies of 6" Ordnance Survey map, scale 1:10560, indicating location of the site. All applications must be original Ordnance Survey maps carrying a red stamp or stamped with a license number from the Ordnance Survey Office. The number of the Ordnance map and North point should be clearly indicated.
  3. 6 copies of 25" Ordnance Survey map, scale 1:2500, with site boundaries outlined in Red. Adjacent land in applicants control must be outlined in Blue and way leaves in Yellow. The North point and the number of the Ordnance map should be clearly indicated. All maps must be original Ordnance Survey maps carrying a red stamp or stamped with a license number from the Ordnance Survey Office.
  4. 6 copies of Site Layout Plan, scale 1:500, with the site outlined in Red, with the North point showing, also showing the levels or contours where applicable. The position of the site notice affixed to the land or structure must also be shown on the Site Layout Plan or on a separate original map.
  5. 6 copies of detailed structural drawings, specifications, etc. of the proposed development. These drawings should be clearly scaled and dimensioned, must be metric scale of not less than 1:200 and must indicate the North point. The proposed development should be clearly marked or coloured to distinguish from the existing development. (Not required for Outline Planning Permission).
  6. 6 copies of a schedule listing the plans, drawings and maps described in 2-5 above.
  7. Public Notices: The original page of newspaper containing the notice and 5 copies, and 6 copies of a white site notice. If the application refers to a site for which a valid application was submitted within the last six months the site notice must be yellow.
  8. The appropriate planning fee.
  9. If relevant, 6 copies of a site Suitability Report, completed on your local Council site suitability report form, detailing trial hole and percolation test results carried out within the last 12 months by a suitably qualified and competent person holding adequate professional indemnity insurance. Also if relevant, 6 copies of the treatment plant specification.
* Applications must be received within 14 days of the date of publication of the newspaper notice.

* The application will be declared invalid if any documents are missing or if the site notice is not on site if the site is visited.

Depending on the type of permission, you should also include house design and plans and details on source of water and waste treatment system.

Waste Treatment System: For septic tanks applicants are encouraged to dig trial holes to assess soil suitability following consultation with their local Environmental Health Officer. They may carry out the inspection themselves or nominate a qualified individual to do so. The cost of this depends on the individual. This prior consultation is advised so that an appointment can be made to facilitate inspection of the hole after it has been dug, if so required. The hole should be dug at the proposed location of the septic tank system. In the event that the submitted location should not prove suitable, you may be required to further consult with the EHO and provide such further trial holes or alternative proposals as may be required. In some cases where a conventional septic tank system would be unsuitable, site improvement works will have to be carried out. These improvement works include lowering the ater table by drainage, increasing the soil depth by importing suitable soil or replacing existing, unsuitable soil.

Your application will be checked by the local authority and, if it is validated, you will be sent confirmation that your application has been received and, it will be placed on the planning register in the planning authority offices for public inspection. Your application will also be included on the lists of planning applications displayed in council offices, public libraries and circulated to certain interest groups. A council official will usually inspect the development site; you may be asked to make an appointment to allow access.

Any member of the public has the right to inspect or purchase a copy of your planning permission and, on payments of a fee of twenty euros, make a written submission or observation on it. The submission or observation must be made within five weeks of the date of receipt of the planning application. Comments must be based on planning considerations not on personal likes or dislikes.

After considering all information and referring to the local development plan a decision will be made by the local authority on your planning application and it will be relayed in writing to you and anyone who commented on it.

What happens if your planning permission is refused?

If the local authority refuses your application it will give you the reason for this. You have four weeks from the date of their decision to appeal to An Bord Pleanala. The planning system includes an appeals process. Under this, all planning decisions made by planning authorities may be subject to independent review by An Bord Pleanala.

The appeal must be made within 4 weeks beginning on the date of the making of the decision by the planning authority.

You can also appeal conditions attached to your permission. Your appeal must include the full grounds of the appeal with supporting material and arguments. No further submissions or elaborations on these grounds of appeal will be accepted by the board. The typical fee for this is 150 euros and the appeal must be made in writing to:

The Secretary,
An Bord Pleanala,
64 Marlborough Street,
Dublin 1
Tel: 01 8588100 or local 1890 275 175
Web site www.pleanala.ie
E-mail bord@pleanala.ie

To ensure your application gets dealt with as speedily as possible it is advisable to engage the services of an architect to ensure that all key issues that need to be considered for your application are considered.

Please treat the above information as a guideline only. All information should be confirmed with your qualified architect or engineer and the Local Planning Department.

For further information, visit iasob.com.

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