Log Cabin Planning Decision

Tipperary Court Case – Log Cabin Planning

We have received a number of links to the article about the court case in county Tipperary which is currently adjourned to allow Sean Meehan to apply for retention planning permission for his log cabin. You can read the article from TipperaryFM here.

Why don’t they give log cabin planning permission in Ireland?

This question about log cabin planning, we get asked all of the time, and we are as frustrated about the answer as everybody else. There are a few reasons that will be given by the planners, and some of those in fairness are valid. But lots and lots of people, parents with young adults, and young adults themselves, are very very frustrated at the cost of housing and the cost of rent. And they’re very very frustrated at the government’s building of modular homes for certain immigrants when they won’t build them for homeless people in Ireland. Or when they won’t give log cabin planning permission more easily, and enable lots of our young people to move out from under Mammy and Daddy’s feet!

Why not give planning permission to log cabins?

Well, we have to ask the purpose of planning permission and planning policy in the first place. Naturally, there should be some control on what is built where, because we don’t want for instance, thousands of houses and no schools or shops, or four story ancient built on top of a scenic hill, or somebody’s dream home built in front of a round tower. These things make a lot of sense. But when it comes to restricting people from building affordable residences, then questions really do have to be asked.

Log cabins are quick to build, sustainable and easy to heat.

Log cabins are the perfect solution to the housing crisis in this country. If it was more straight-forward to get log cabin planning, we at Timber Living could build excellent quality, sustainable, affordable and well insulated log cabins in a matter of weeks. Imagine, placing an order today for A2 bed log cabin and walking into a completed, fully furnished, wired and plumbed and painted residence in three months time! But!, they say, “what about the building regulations”? Power log cabins have a standard 4 inch insulated cavity with a total wall thickness of seven inches or 175mm. By putting 6 inches of external insulation on our cabins with a cement board finish and increasing the insulation levels in the roof on floor, we can reach a BER of A2 level. Of course, the banks won’t like it because these buildings are very very affordable. But wouldn’t you think that the politicians would like it because they are a serious fix for an awful lot of people.

What style of house should get planning permission?

The planners will tell you that they won’t can’t give log cabin planning because it does not fit in with the vernacular. In other words, it doesn’t look like a land commission house from the 40s! Well, look at the picture below. A load of boxes thrown together and absolutely no artistic merit. Let’s give a planning!

You need to match the vernacular

But when somebody comes along with a cozy log cabin, Scandinavian look, affordable, sustainable, built quickly and giving somebody a home, will they get planning? But no, no planning for you. And Why Not? I’m afraid I can’t answer that because there’s no sensible answer…