A close to £350 million spend by the NI Executive on water and sewerage services is good news for self-builders, as it will make more sites serviceable and protect the environment.Infrastructure Minister Nicola Mallon announced her department is committing to the full amount recommended by the NI Utility Regulator in her 2021/2022 budget, to address […] More
Laois County Council prevented a couple from demolishing a landmark building that carried a dereliction order, reports the Leinster Express. The couple was applying for planning permission to build their two storey family home, which they secured with 15 conditions, but were told they couldn’t demolish the rundown building that used to be a local […] More
The ROI Department of Housing’s plan to publish a draft revision to the 2005 Rural Housing Planning Guidelines in June has been postponed, and is now slated for “later in 2021”, Selfbuild has learned. “Updated Rural Housing Planning Guidelines are currently being prepared that will continue to allow for the development of homes in rural […] More
Galway councillor to push for removal of locals only rules in County Development Plan A long awaited update to the Department of Housing’s 2005 Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines is due to be published by the end of June, the department’s press office told Selfbuild. The guidelines restrict one-off housing in the countryside. In some zones, […] More
A couple in Co Meath have agreed to vacate their home of 14 years to make way for bulldozers. Following a lengthy legal battle with Meath County Council, they have agreed to leave the house in two years’ time so the authorities can demolish it. The 588sqm house was self-built after the couple failed to […] More
Is the site good enough? Self-build advisor John Corless explains what you need to check for when buying a site, or if you have one gifted to you. Favourite More
Episode 11: John Corless is Ireland’s leading independent self-build advisor and the host of the Selfbuild Live Bootcamp. We caught up with him at Selfbuild Live Belfast to give us a bird’s eye view of the self-build process. Topics covered: Favourite More
Building a house to your own design and specification is the dream for many people. But like all ideals, it can be difficult to achieve. Individual building sites are not easy to find and you must work that bit harder to secure a good one. Finding the right site to build your house on can […] More
Planning Policy Statement 21: Sustainable Development in the Countryside, or PPS21 as it’s commonly referred to, is the planners’ policy to building in the countryside. Here are some pointers on how to navigate it from Mervyn McNeill of McNeill Architectural Consultancy. Finding a site can be the first obstacle to any dream of self-building; doing […] More
NI’s Planning Policy Statement 21: Sustainable Development in the Countryside, or PPS21 as it’s commonly referred to, is the planning permission guide to building in the countryside. Here are some pointers on how to navigate it from Mervyn McNeill of McNeill Architectural Consultancy, including: Finding a site can be the first obstacle to any dream […] More
Getting rid of ROI ‘locals only’ rules for one-off housing may not necessarily be the answer to haphazard development in the countryside, says planning consultant Diarmuid O’Grada There are some reasons why we should keep ‘locals only’ rules in the countryside – one is the case of wealthy foreigners outbidding locals to live in rural […] More
Planning permission: when do you need it and how can you obtain it? In this first article of a four part series, we look at self-builds and some of the issues to consider. In this article we cover: I’m shopping around for a site. Should I only consider ones that have already been granted planning […] More
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