Green Belt areas and planning permission

Hi,

Does anyone know the difference of applying for planning permission in Green Belt areas? Are there any special financial considerations they take into account, other than if you live in the area? I am just looking to build a modest 2-storey house.

'Green Belt' is a British planning construct. We don't have green belts in Ireland. Each local authority has its own rules on the circumstances where individual rural building is allowed. In general the system is fairly lax compared to other European countries as you will notice houses scattered all around the countryside. Which local authority oversees the area in which you want to build?

Central government guidelines to local authorities on when to permit rural housing were revised in 2005. The result was to loosen the restrictions on who can build and where they can build.

You can read the revised guidelines here:


You will need to obtain the development plan from your local authority that will contain a chapter on their local interpretation of rural housing guidelines. You can arrange to meet a planner from your local authority to discuss your plans and they will effectively tell you what you can build, right down to what it should look like etc. You then make a formal application for planning permission.

I don't know what you mean by 'special financial considerations'.

The main item councils look at is 'local need', that is that you are living locally have ties to the area and can give back to the community, a form of discrimination but this is Ireland.