Renewed calls to Tipperary council to relax planning policy on log cabins and mobile homes

Renewed calls were made at Tipperary County Council’s latest monthly meeting to give planning approval for log cabins and mobile homes in circumstances where the owner is finding it difficult to secure accommodation.

Sinn Féin Cllr David Dunne called for “temporary” planning permission to be granted to these homes in cases where alternative housing wasn’t available.

He suggested a review be built into the temporary grant of planning permission where the resident of the modular home would have to show they were trying to get alternative housing.

The Carrick-on-Suir councillor sought information from council management on reports that the Housing Minister is going to make an announcement about a relaxation in planning policy in relation to modular homes.

He said he struggled “to get his head around” the planning laws in this area. He cited a recent court case where the council had been trying to remove people from a location in Clonmel but a judge ruled in favour of them staying there until they get future housing.

On the other hand, he had been working with a man who had been living in a log cabin but arising from a court case he has to sell the log cabin and was now homeless. “It's crazy in my opinion,” he said.

Fianna Fáil Cllr Micheál Anglim agreed that the planning policy around log cabins needed to be re-examined in situations where people were in the “squeezed middle”. They were too well off to qualify for the social housing list but “don’t come within an asses roar” of affording to build to buy a house.

Independent Cllr Seamus Morris from Nenagh supported Cllr Dunne’s stance and called for a moratorium on making people living in modular homes homeless.

He pointed out that Laois County Council is using modular homes to look after people in need of housing but claimed Tipperary County Council had a “snobby attitude” to people living in such homes.

“I know of several modular houses that have no planning permission and there are people living there.

“I would be horrified if someone was going to move on them because someone made a complaint,” he said.

“ I do think we need to have an adult conversation about this. Other councils don’t have a problem with modular houses.

Certainly I would like to see a moratorium. I would ask Tipperary County Council to please use common sense and stop making people homeless who have gone out and spent money on modular housing,” he added.

Tipperary Town Sinn Féin Cllr Annemarie Ryan supported a moratorium on making modular home dwellers homeless because the country is in the middle of a housing crisis and not in a position to offer alternative accommodation.

She requested that a workshop be organised by the council to discuss the issue.

But Independent Cllr Andy Moloney from Poulmucka highlighted how this isn’t a black and white issue.

He told the meeting he had come across a situation where a landowner offered his son a site but the son was refused planning permission for a house. His father then applied for and was refused planning permission for a house on the site. The site was sold to an external party who went and erected a modular home without planning permission.

“If we go down that road where does it leave us with the people who are trying to do the right thing,” he asked.

Cllr Moloney said the erection of this modular building was going to go through the courts and there was a possibility it could be left on the site.

Fine Gael Cllr Michael Fitzgerald agreed the council needed to have a workshop to discuss this issue in the new year.

But he stressed the council couldn't allow a “free for all” in allowing modular housing to be erected and cited a case he knew of where a mobile home was erected nearly into the front garden of someone’s home without any planning permission.

The Council’s Director of Planning & Development Services Sharon Kennedy said the Council has been made aware that the Minister has commenced a review in relation to temporary dwellings legislation but at this point and time the legislation hasn’t changed.

She said the Council was bound by the existing legislation.

When the Council received a complaint about a modular house that was erected without planning permission, it had to be investigated. The council had to take into account the rights of those who made such complaints.

However, she stressed the council was aware of the implications of any process and proceeded as cautiously and sensitively as it could.