Row over garage conversion in Tipperary sparks planning appeal
A Tipperary homeowner has appealed a council decision blocking the conversion of a garage into living space, calling the refusal “nonsensical” amid Ireland’s ongoing housing crisis.
Tipperary County Council refused planning permission for the conversion of the garage of a house on the Bansha Road in Tipperary town into living space, as well as raising its roof height, and connecting it to the main house by removing internal walls.
The local authority refused to grant permission for the development on a number of grounds, including that the planning status of the garage is “unclear” and that a grant of planning permission would set an “undesirable precedent”.
In its letter, outlining the reasons for refusing the development, Tipperary County Council planners said that “the planning status of the existing domestic garage is unclear and it appears that same may be unauthorised development”.
Now, the homeowner, Ken Hassett, has appealed the refusal to An Coimisiún Pleanála saying that the decision “makes no sense” in the context of the current housing crisis.
"The existing building is dilapidated and unsightly, but structurally sound,” the appeal letter states.
"It could be used for housing to qualified applicants, of which there is a huge demand. It makes no sense not developing this, in the view of the housing shortage".
Planners also raised concerns about the potential for overlooking of neighbouring properties, and the lack of natural light would not satisfy the standards for new dwellings, saying that the development would be contrary to the Tipperary Town and Environs Development Plan.
"The development will result in overbearing impacts on No. 7 Mountain View to the south and will overlook the rear amenity space to be shared with No. 1 Mountain View to the north,” planners said.
"The planning authority considers that the proposal will result in negative impacts on the residential amenity of these properties and is therefore contrary to the land use zoning objective for the site,” they added.
In response to this, the property owner said that the development works are “ancillary, and forms part of No. 1 Mountain View, and is in no way overbearing on it”.
"It is not intended to sub-divide the property to form its own single entity, but rather to enhance the existing dwelling,” the property owner said.
“The present building was constructed at the same time as the existing dwelling prior to the planning act, and the type of construction verifies this, so no precedent will be created by this development,” the appeal added.