The ‘local needs’ requirement for people in rural parts of the county is still contained in the Meath Development Plan.

The Planning Authorities recognise the importance of family ties and ties to the local area (parish, sporting clubs, local schools, etc) for rural people. This requirement also delivers positive benefits for rural areas & sustains rural communities by allowing people to build in their local areas on suitable sites.

Meath County Council will support proposals for individual dwellings on suitable sites in rural areas where the applicant;

  • can clearly demonstrate a genuine need for a dwelling on the basis that the applicant is significantly involved in agriculture,
  • can clearly demonstrate their significant employment is in the bloodstock and equine industry, forestry, agri-tourism or horticulture sectors and who can demonstrate a need to live in a rural area in the immediate vicinity of their employment to carry out their employment.
  • has spent substantial periods of their lives, living in rural areas as members of the established rural community for a period in excess of five years and who do not possess a dwelling or who have not possessed a dwelling in the past in which they have resided or who possess a dwelling in which they do not currently reside,
  • is originally from rural areas and who are in substandard or unacceptable housing scenario’s and who have continuing close family ties with rural communities such as being a mother, father, brother, sister, son, daughter, son in law, or daughter in law of a long-established member of the rural community being a person resident rurally for at least ten years,
  • is a returning emigrant(s) who have lived for substantial parts of their lives in rural areas, then moved abroad and who now wish to return to reside near other family members, to work locally, to care for older members of their family or to retire, and,
  • employment is rurally based, such as teachers in rural primary schools or whose work predominantly takes place within the rural area in which they are seeking to build their first home, or is suited to rural locations such as farm hands or trades-people and who have a housing need.

The Planning Authority also recognises that exceptional health circumstances may require a person to live in a particular environment or close to family support. In such cases, the exceptional health circumstances would require supporting documentation from a registered medical practitioner and a disability organisation supporting a planning application.

Where an applicant for a one-off house in the countryside can demonstrate, by the submission of documentary evidence, that their original dwelling was sold due to unavoidable financial circumstances, such applications will be considered on their individual merits, where the applicant satisfies local housing need criteria. This consideration does not override the other normal assessment criteria as set out in this Development Plan for a one-off house.

Where an applicant has resided in a rural area for a considerable period of time, being a period of time in excess of the previous 10 consecutive years, in a dwelling attached to their business, such as farming, and the business inclusive of dwelling house is being sold for retirement or other circumstances, such applications will be considered on their individual merits, where the applicant satisfies local housing need criteria. The Planning Authority will facilitate pre-planning consultation in such circumstances.

References: Meath County Development Plan 2013-2019 – meathcountydevelopmentplan.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/meath-county-development-plan-2013-2019-consolidated-version-written-statement-december-2016.pdf

Local needs form can be found here – www.meath.ie/CountyCouncil/Planning/PlanningPermissionOverview/

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