Local TD for Limerick County and Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Niall Collins, has welcomed the new Exempted Development Regulations for Residential Dwellings, saying they are practical measures that will give homeowners in Limerick more flexibility to adapt and extend their homes to their needs.
The new regulations, which came into effect on Monday (27th), reduce unnecessary planning requirements for homeowners while enabling local authorities to focus their resources on larger and more complex developments that require greater scrutiny.
The changes are designed to give homeowners more flexibility to make practical improvements to their homes, whether through extensions, adaptations or the creation of additional living space, while continuing to meet all relevant Building, Building Control and Fire Regulations.
KEY CHANGES
Among the key changes introduced are:
A new exemption allowing the construction of a detached auxiliary habitable dwelling, connected to the services of the main house, with a floor area of between 32 and 45 square metres;
A new exemption allowing the subdivision of an existing home to create one additional self-contained residential unit within the existing building envelope, provided each unit has a minimum floor area of 32 square metres;
A new exemption permitting the addition of a dormer roof box and/or roof light to the principal dwelling;
An increase in the exempted floor area for house extensions from 40 square metres to 45 square metres;
An increase in the exempted floor area for structures in the rear garden, such as sheds, home offices, gyms or stores, from 25 square metres to 30 square metres.
In every case, all relevant Building, Building Control and Fire Regulations, including those relating to habitable dwellings where applicable, will continue to apply.
CREATING MORE OPTIONS
Minister Collins said that the changes will ‘cut administrative red tape and rightly recognise that homeowners should be trusted to make practical decisions about their own property without having to navigate unnecessary planning processes’.
“The new exemptions will create more housing options for families. They will support people with disabilities who want to live more independently while remaining close to family, while also making it easier for older people to right size without leaving the communities they know.
“These reforms are also about making the planning system work more effectively. By removing straightforward household projects from the planning process, local authorities will be able to focus more of their time and resources on larger housing developments and other projects that are critical to meeting our housing needs.”
