Sight line change may trip up planners say councillors

Councillors at last week’s sitting of Tipperary County Council and at Nenagh and Thurles Municipal District Councils have called for clarification on sight line changes to planning permission applications.

Councillors raised concerns that planning permission was being denied because of the new sight line requirement of 160 metres on either side of the development.

The new standard is from the county development plan, which came into effect from August.

Councillor Mairin McGrath said she felt it made building for young people in the countryside more difficult.

SCIENTIFIC BASIS
A spokesperson for Tipperary County Council said there was a scientific basis for the 160m standard.

Sight lines refer to the distance needed for a vehicle to be seen as it enters a public road.
A person building a house must leave 160m left and right so as not to obstruct those using the road.

He said the change in the county development plan was to bring the planning standards in line with the regulations.

He also said there’s a need to educate people but that it does make sense.

“Of course, people will get refused on sight lines, but the intention is to make it safer and to get the right site lines in the right place,” said the spokesperson.

NENAGH COUNCIL
Cllr Joe Hannigan raised the issue again at the sitting of Nenagh Municipal District Council.

He said he did not understand where the change had come from, and he was concerned it would ‘catch people out.’

An official from Tipperary County Council responded by saying it was a ‘reasonable’ and ‘workable’ approach.

“It’s not there to make things difficult but to make things easy,” they said.

They said more information would be provided to clarify the matter.

THURLES COUNCIL
At the sitting of Thurles Municipal District Council this week, Cllr Sean Ryan asked how planning permissions in before August but not decided on would be assessed.

Tipperary County Council said that all decisions from August 22 would be based on the new county plan regardless of when they were submitted.

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Cllr Seamus Hanafin said while he supported the use of sight lines, there needed to be flexible.

Tipperary County Council said ‘flexibility is built in.’

They said those seeking planning permission could apply for an exemption if the road does not require a 160m sight line.