New guidelines aimed at greatly reducing the overturning of planning permission for one off housing have been introduced by the Minister for the Environment, Martin Cullen.
Martin Cullen says that the current overturn rate of 76% should be reduced to around 10%.
He says the guidelines will ensure that people who are born in an area, who live in an area and who contribute to an area will be entitled to build a home there.
Mr Cullen's stated aim is to ensure that both local authorities and An Bord Pleanála adopt a more 'positive and pro-active approach' in dealing with rural housing.
The new guidelines, which follow a year-long review, are contained in a 50-page document.
The guidelines will replace the previous Government rural housing strategy as outlined in the 1997 document 'Sustainable Development'. Minister Cullen believes this policy was 'interpreted over-rigidly' by the planning authorities.
The Green Party has said the new guidelines issued are a recipe for a bungalow blitz in the countryside.
