Hi killter
My wife and I purchased a site in Apr 07 in kildare and have been granted permission on the basis of local need. While planning departments in different counties will have different policies I think the local need categories are generally consistent.
Presumably this site is in a rural area, outside the boundary of the townland of oughterard. I'm unfamiliar with the guidelinesin galway but in kildare there were 5 specific circumstances in which you could comply with the category of local need. on the application we had to state which of the 5 we complied with and provide a specific list of documentary evidence to prove we complied.
I've looked up the Galway county development plan and it is similar to the Kildare plan - i've copied the text below (bottom of page) from page 52 of the document available at [broken link removed]
My take on it would be that would would "NOT" comply with the category of local need as you did not grow up in the area and you have n significant ties to the area -renting in the area would probably not be sufficient. However you could be able to prove that you comply with category 3-that you are functionally dependent on the rural area if you work in the area you wish to build in
However dont just take the text below as gospel, there arealways ways and means. DO NOT speak to a local planner- they will most definitely tell you you do not comply - dont give the planners any more information than you need to- they are not there to help you but to ensure that housing development is sustainable and one-off housing is not sustainable so they look for reasons not to grant permission.
You should speak to a local architect with good local knowledge of the planning system - they should play devils advocate and help you determine whether to purchase or not. If you do proceed also make sure you get whatever local political help you can- you need politicians on your side and fighting your corner (and that desnt mean just writinga letter to support your application which some of them do- that wont help at all.
If I was in your position I would not proceed but you may have personal circumstances (health or otherwie) that may support a case for local need.
Also ask yourself the following question - can you afford "Not" to get planning - you may get less for the site if you try to sell it after a failed application.
I know the above is long winded bu I ope it hes and good luck with the decision (we took 3 attempts before we finally got the grant- I dont envy you)
Policy 90
In determining whether an application within the Galway
Transportation and Planning Study (GTPS) area is intended to
meet a genuine rural generated housing need, the provisions of
the
“Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines for Planning Authorities,
2005” (Appendix 6) shall be considered. The following factors
will also be considered on the documentary evidence presented
on a case by case basis.
(a) Those applicants with links to the area through long standing
existing close family ties seeking to develop their first home on
existing family farm holdings.
or
(b) Those applicants who have no family lands but who wish to
build their first home within the community in which they have
long standing links and where they have spent a substantial,
continuous part of their lives (i.e. have grown up in the area,
schooled in the area and have existing close family connections
in the area e.g. son or daughter of longstanding residents of the
area). Having established a substantiated rural housing need,
such persons making an application on a site within an 8km
radius of their original family home will be considered
favourably, subject to normal development control criteria and
provided the site is not closer to Galway city than the original
family home or encroaches within the urban fringe of the towns
of Gort, Loughrea, Athenry or Tuam.
or
(c) Those applicants who are functionally dependant on a part time
or full time basis on the immediate rural area in which they are
seeking to develop. Employment in neighbouring towns or
villages will not in itself qualify an applicant as having a rural
generated housing need.
or
(d) Those applicants who lived for substantial periods of their lives
in the rural area, then moved abroad and who now wish to
return and build their first house, in this local area, to reside
near other family members. Special consideration will be given
to the immediate family of emigrants returning to this local
area.
or
(e) Special consideration shall be given to cases of exceptional
health circumstances – supported by relevant documentation
from a registered medical practitioner and a disability
organisation proving that a person requires to live in a
particular environment or close to family support, or requires a
family member to live in close proximity to that person. In that
instance a family member shall be defined as the brother, sister,
son, daughter, niece, nephew or grandchild of the person with
such exceptional health circumstances.