Planning process is bound up in red tape

The mounting costs of planning applications – and the lack of Local Authority funding to take over private roads and estates – have been described as impediments to people wishing to build their own homes.

Some planning applicants could face up to €40,000 before laying a foundation in indirect costs from planning fees, development contribution costs and mandatory tests like soil, flooding risks and screening tests — though this figure is on the high end of the scale.

This week, the council meeting acknowledged there was a housing crisis and a number of them expressed their concerns about the increasing difficulties being faced by applicants, especially those in areas like South Galway where there was a high flood risk.

Cllr Joe Byrne, a qualified civil engineer by profession, said he was aware of the challenges associated with planning applications but objected to a motion proposed by Cllr Jim Cuddy (seconded by Cllr James Charity) that every private road leading to a one off house granted by the Council planners be taken in charge and if not that applicants not be charged the roads development contribution levy.

The discussion heard CEO Kevin Kelly advising the same on the grounds that it would cost the Council dearly and that there was no funding for it anyway.

Cllr Bryne said he agreed with the proposal’s sentiments but realistically it couldn’t be done, not only for financial reasons, but for health and safety issues as the Local Authority would have to take responsibility for each exit onto main roads.

Cllr Byrne explained his €40,000 figure was exceptional but that an average application for a 170 sq metre (2000 sq ft) house depending on its proximity to a water mains, its location etc, could come to that.

Cost include an Irish Water connection charge of €1,500, possibly a flood risk study, a screening report for environmental impact, a hydro-geological report and an allocation for roads and footpaths which could be as much as €2,000 at €7 per sq metre.

Cllr Byrne welcomed an agreement this week to reduce that allocation cost by half but said that for some people, especially those living in South Galway, securing planning permission for one off houses was still very difficult.

He was also aware of some cases where some financial institutions refused mortgages where a house was not being built on a public road.

Cllr Cuddy said it was unfair to ask applicants to make the roads contribution — a cost introduced in 2010 — when the road leading up to their house wasn’t being taken in charge by the Council.

Cllr Jim McClearn said he was concerned that the adoption of Cllr Cuddy’s proposal would in fact be a deterrent to some applicants being refused planning permission as the Council hadn’t the funds to take-in-charge every single private road in the county.

Mr Kelly said that they hadn’t had the benefit of this particular development cost until five years ago and that it could be in their gift to build up these funds to upgrade a number of roads. He strongly advised making a link between this development cost and an onus on the Council to do something they weren’t in a position to do.

Years ago, small private roads were upgraded through the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) but this no longer existed but there was nothing stopping a number of house-owners living on such a road getting together to upgrade a road with the help of Notice of Motion monies donated by their own local councillors.

Cllr Mary Hoade said most people believed if there were a few houses on a road that it was a public road and expected it to be maintained by the Council. She said the Council would have to demand extra funding from Central funds to cope with the issue.

Cllr Cuddy said people felt very aggrieved that this was the case as they wondered where their car tax money and Local Property Tax had gone.

His motion was lost by 15 to ten with two abstentions.