Core Refusal Reason
The applicant failed to demonstrate a genuine local housing need as required by Policy SSP-27 for a rural area under strong urban influence, particularly as they are deemed to already own a rural dwelling.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The applicant does not satisfy the local housing need criteria defined in Policy SSP-27 of the Offaly County Development Plan 2021-2027 for areas designated as being under strong urban influence.
- As the applicant's husband owns the rural dwelling where the family currently resides, the applicant is considered to already own a rural home, which precludes them from qualifying for a new one under current policy.
- The proposed development would materially contravene the rural housing policy of the County Development Plan and set an undesirable precedent for further sporadic development in the open countryside.
Cited Policies (CDP)
SSP-27BLO-27Fig 2.6
Decision Document Summary
The proposal involved the construction of a new dwelling house, domestic garage, and septic tank system at Gorteen Killeigh, Tullamore, Co. Offaly. The site is situated in the open countryside in an area classified as a 'Rural Area Under Strong Urban Influence'. The application was refused because the applicant failed to establish a functional economic or social requirement to live in this specific rural area. The Planning Authority concluded that since the applicant already resides in a rural d...SOURCE PDFOpen Original
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