It’s almost like what the government wants, and what people want are two different things.
There’s a certain dogma that one off housing is bad, but let’s review the realities of rural housing before abject condemnation.
With regard to housing supply in rural areas, with no luxury taxation or disencentives on holiday homes many rural areas 2nd hand housing market is out of reach of locals. Further to that with land hoarding within villages and towns there is no new supply available and again the government is doing nothing with regard to this. Also, all towns large enough to have a Local area plan have this insane zoning method where zone 1 residential must be developed before zone 2 can be then developed…if the land owners in zone 1 don’t have the means or intention to develop…then tough shit, no housing for that town.
Then let’s look at the outcomes of anti one off housing particularly in areas of high high holiday homes, the infrastructure exists, the councils are legally obliged to maintain it, the utilities will do the same…so in areas as low as 30% year around occupancy, policy is creating a situation where we are paying for empty boreens to have their roads maintained and utilities must do the same. Nowhere is it mentioned how reducing one off housing will do anything with regard to this.
Lastly, if people can’t choose to have a home in the area they grew up in, it’s pretty much a form of removal. It further guts the economy of that area, and leaves only an ageing population with no one locally left over to look after them. This only further adds to the cost of the state.
So to sum up, the market is distorted, new supply isn’t becoming available, the result is only those wealthy enough to afford it getting all the infrastructure for a place they don’t live in, and areas slowly being hollowed out. Yet the dogma is one off housing is bad, and we should further restrict housing in the worst housing crisis in the last fifty years. It’s not exactly all that well thought out as it’s proponents would have it now is it?
There aren’t any alternatives. Apartment and estate projects are being snapped up by funds or the council, everything else is being objected to. I know several people trying to self build one-offs on parents’ land simply because it is their only option.
This doesn’t have to be happening and shouldn’t be, but the housing situation is so broken in all other respects it’s the only chance left. This is policy failure, not preference.
This is gonna be like a giant batsignal shining into the dusk sky for that batshit mental Eurosong fella.
Eurovision in shambles right now
I want to live in a town. I want to be able to walk or get public transport to shops/cafes/pubs etc. I can’t because of the housing failure
I am one of the lucky ones that does have land and I will be applying. There is a chance I’ll get rejected because I’m not a farmer but it’s now my only hope of having a home. It’ll be a very small house I’ll apply for as cost of construction are ridiculous too
The alternative is homelessness. There’s no estates being built in rural areas.
One off rural housing is the only chance people have to build houses they actually want. There are no plots in / outskirts of a town where I can go to an architect and design something exactly to my own needs. The model here is a developer must buy the land and build the housing.
The idea that everyone must live in a semi-d, perpetuating terrible design choices, no matter how eco, space and infrastructure friendly it is will NEVER appeal to a large portion of the population.
Irish housing choices (outside of dublin):
One off Bungalow built in the 90’s with no footpath and only within driving distance of the local town, with all its amenities being miles away. The prevelance of houses similar to yours means that whenever talk of upgraded rail connections or public transport comes about, the lack of density means nothing gets done. You only get to shop in your towns supervalu (centra/daybreak if you are unlucky), the town is full of cars all day.
A copy paste new build on an estate called “Westminster Meadows”. Houses are highly ber rated, but tiny, with a post stamp garden. Some of the estate will be social housing, some will be bought by investment funds to rent out, and you’ll be the sucker paying the mortgage for 25 years. Your estate is nice, but you’re outside the bus routes and you’ve to drive everywhere. Despite taking up where a front garden would be, driveways are not big enough, so everyone parks on the street.
70’s-90’s housing estate: Your house was built during or before the boom, with all the quality that entails. The above design issues apply, your streets are clogged with parked cars, but at least you have a front garden. Because your houses were built far back enough, you’re within walking distance of town, and whatever amenities are there.
Pre 68’s: You’re living in an old house on the main road through town or within walking distance. Its okay but cold unless you’ve done it up. Single glazed windows are unfortunately common. Lots require to make them comfortable.
I’d love to be able to live in an apartment in a town or city but it seems like this country as a whole (whether it be government, developers or society or whatever) is just so anti functional apartments or good city planning.
The solution to everything is just detached or semi-detached houses all over the countryside and it’s ridiculous.
Except I also have fuck all money to buy anything for at a minimum the next five years and apartments are genuinely fucking dogshit quality in this country.
Maybe if the government actually got the finger out and wanted to try and incentive some decent apartment building but we all know that’s an absolute pipe dream.
Big rise in …. homes …. clashing with states policy on housing.
A lot of people would live in towns and villages, if given the option. But if the cheapest way to have a roof over your head is to buy a site and build your own house, people are going to do that.
“Big rise in one-off rural homes risks clashing with State’s policy on [not building enough] housing”
I live in the country 10 mins from town, I would love to buy a pot a design my own house, this would then free up my current house for someone else. however due to planning regulations I would never get permission as I currently own a house so have no current need.
Kinda mad really, sure it’s just one house but still helps and I’m sure many others are in the same position.
Supposedly there is serviced sites that local councils are to sell to people who want to build in towns and villages.
But as usual its the “up to 1,000 homes to be provided over 5 years” PR headline bullshit. Ive yet to see one of these sites in the entire country for sale. Nothing.
There is only one policy in ireland in regards housing. Its simple. How much tax payer money can we funnel to the private sector for housing. Thats it in a nutshell.
15 comments
It’s almost like what the government wants, and what people want are two different things.
There’s a certain dogma that one off housing is bad, but let’s review the realities of rural housing before abject condemnation.
With regard to housing supply in rural areas, with no luxury taxation or disencentives on holiday homes many rural areas 2nd hand housing market is out of reach of locals. Further to that with land hoarding within villages and towns there is no new supply available and again the government is doing nothing with regard to this. Also, all towns large enough to have a Local area plan have this insane zoning method where zone 1 residential must be developed before zone 2 can be then developed…if the land owners in zone 1 don’t have the means or intention to develop…then tough shit, no housing for that town.
Then let’s look at the outcomes of anti one off housing particularly in areas of high high holiday homes, the infrastructure exists, the councils are legally obliged to maintain it, the utilities will do the same…so in areas as low as 30% year around occupancy, policy is creating a situation where we are paying for empty boreens to have their roads maintained and utilities must do the same. Nowhere is it mentioned how reducing one off housing will do anything with regard to this.
Lastly, if people can’t choose to have a home in the area they grew up in, it’s pretty much a form of removal. It further guts the economy of that area, and leaves only an ageing population with no one locally left over to look after them. This only further adds to the cost of the state.
So to sum up, the market is distorted, new supply isn’t becoming available, the result is only those wealthy enough to afford it getting all the infrastructure for a place they don’t live in, and areas slowly being hollowed out. Yet the dogma is one off housing is bad, and we should further restrict housing in the worst housing crisis in the last fifty years. It’s not exactly all that well thought out as it’s proponents would have it now is it?
There aren’t any alternatives. Apartment and estate projects are being snapped up by funds or the council, everything else is being objected to. I know several people trying to self build one-offs on parents’ land simply because it is their only option.
This doesn’t have to be happening and shouldn’t be, but the housing situation is so broken in all other respects it’s the only chance left. This is policy failure, not preference.
This is gonna be like a giant batsignal shining into the dusk sky for that batshit mental Eurosong fella.
Eurovision in shambles right now
I want to live in a town. I want to be able to walk or get public transport to shops/cafes/pubs etc. I can’t because of the housing failure
I am one of the lucky ones that does have land and I will be applying. There is a chance I’ll get rejected because I’m not a farmer but it’s now my only hope of having a home. It’ll be a very small house I’ll apply for as cost of construction are ridiculous too
The alternative is homelessness. There’s no estates being built in rural areas.
One off rural housing is the only chance people have to build houses they actually want. There are no plots in / outskirts of a town where I can go to an architect and design something exactly to my own needs. The model here is a developer must buy the land and build the housing.
The idea that everyone must live in a semi-d, perpetuating terrible design choices, no matter how eco, space and infrastructure friendly it is will NEVER appeal to a large portion of the population.
Irish housing choices (outside of dublin):
One off Bungalow built in the 90’s with no footpath and only within driving distance of the local town, with all its amenities being miles away. The prevelance of houses similar to yours means that whenever talk of upgraded rail connections or public transport comes about, the lack of density means nothing gets done. You only get to shop in your towns supervalu (centra/daybreak if you are unlucky), the town is full of cars all day.
A copy paste new build on an estate called “Westminster Meadows”. Houses are highly ber rated, but tiny, with a post stamp garden. Some of the estate will be social housing, some will be bought by investment funds to rent out, and you’ll be the sucker paying the mortgage for 25 years. Your estate is nice, but you’re outside the bus routes and you’ve to drive everywhere. Despite taking up where a front garden would be, driveways are not big enough, so everyone parks on the street.
70’s-90’s housing estate: Your house was built during or before the boom, with all the quality that entails. The above design issues apply, your streets are clogged with parked cars, but at least you have a front garden. Because your houses were built far back enough, you’re within walking distance of town, and whatever amenities are there.
Pre 68’s: You’re living in an old house on the main road through town or within walking distance. Its okay but cold unless you’ve done it up. Single glazed windows are unfortunately common. Lots require to make them comfortable.
I’d love to be able to live in an apartment in a town or city but it seems like this country as a whole (whether it be government, developers or society or whatever) is just so anti functional apartments or good city planning.
The solution to everything is just detached or semi-detached houses all over the countryside and it’s ridiculous.
Except I also have fuck all money to buy anything for at a minimum the next five years and apartments are genuinely fucking dogshit quality in this country.
Maybe if the government actually got the finger out and wanted to try and incentive some decent apartment building but we all know that’s an absolute pipe dream.
Big rise in …. homes …. clashing with states policy on housing.
A lot of people would live in towns and villages, if given the option. But if the cheapest way to have a roof over your head is to buy a site and build your own house, people are going to do that.
“Big rise in one-off rural homes risks clashing with State’s policy on [not building enough] housing”
I live in the country 10 mins from town, I would love to buy a pot a design my own house, this would then free up my current house for someone else. however due to planning regulations I would never get permission as I currently own a house so have no current need.
Kinda mad really, sure it’s just one house but still helps and I’m sure many others are in the same position.
Supposedly there is serviced sites that local councils are to sell to people who want to build in towns and villages.
But as usual its the “up to 1,000 homes to be provided over 5 years” PR headline bullshit. Ive yet to see one of these sites in the entire country for sale. Nothing.
There is only one policy in ireland in regards housing. Its simple. How much tax payer money can we funnel to the private sector for housing. Thats it in a nutshell.