Advice on Planning permission, please.

Jess11

We are seeking planning permission for 3-bed detached house, on our own land beside our present 3-bed semi, in Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown area.
Our plans were drawn up by an architect and submitted.
There was a request for additional info. on drainage and sewage. We had to get an engineer to look into this for us. He has discovered that there is a water mains running through our garden right underneath where we want to build. There is a green area outside our front boundary and he is trying to find out if this area is owned by co. co. or parks dept. to seek permission for the water mains to be re-directed. What are our chances of overcoming this problem and getting planning permission?
Question 2!
The architect who drew the plans has placed our new house almost up against the boundary wall of the garden of our present house (which we intend selling to live in our new house). There is nowhere to put a ventilation flute from a downstairs toilet in our potential new house. He has also put a window in the plans for utility room that will open into the garden space of our existing house. The engineer contacted the architect to question both of these problems. The architect admitted that he was wrong and they both agree that the problem can be solved by moving the house over towards the boundary wall on the other side of the potential new house.
The architect says that he can just send these new details in with the additional information that the engineer will be sending in about sewage and drainage. The engineer diagrees and says we will have to withdraw our present planning permission and submit new plans with the house moved over towards the other side of the garden. Who is correct, the engineer or the architect? I hope my quieries are understandable and not too long winded. We have never looked for planning permission before and are very worried we won't get it. My retirement is depending on clearing our mortgage! So I am very anxious. Jess.

muffler

The only little problem with the watermain is where will it be rerouted to. Generally speaking the council will probably look for the watermain to be 2 metres from a house and then they will secure a wayleave on that strip which means that they will have access to that strip of ground which effectively leaves the strip of ground that it can never be built on.

All that is assuming the main will be re diverted though your site but if its through an open grass area then you shouldnt have any great problem. But again it will depend on the size of the watermain.

In relation to moving the house I cant see why the architect cant submit a revised site plan showing the new location as part of the present application. At worst they could look for an updated newspaper & site notice but highly unlikely. I think the engineer is off the mark a bit with this point

Jess11

Thanks alot, Muffler, for that info. It puts my mind at rest a bit.
There is plenty of room outside our front garden wall (which would be more than 2 meters from any house) to re-direct the mains. There is a fair sized green area that will never be built on there and there are no houses in front of us at all.
The only problem at the moment is finding out which dept owns this piece of land. Thanks again
Jess