Does a Mews House Have to Have a Garage/Parking Built In?

blobert

Hi Guys,

I'm interested in building a mews house in Dublin. Most of the roads/lanes I've looked at have lots of existing mewses on them. I've noticed a phenomenon that all them seem to have some kind of inbuilt garage, just something like this to give you an example: http://www.myhome.ie/residential/brochure/2-eden-park-mews-glasthule-co-dublin/2213262

Now what inevitably happens (at least in the lanes I'm interested in) is that people just park outside their house (where nobody else is allowed park in any case) and the garage is constantly empty. This strikes me as a huge waste of space, especially if you are only dealing with a small site.

Does anyone know if you are obliged to include something like this in a mews or if you could get just get planning permission to not have it? As I say most of the sites I'm looking at have on street parking already, would have room to park 1-2 cars in front of the actual house and no need for a garage (nobody that has one ever uses it)

I'd be curious to know what the situation is with this if anyone knows?

Thanks in advance!

sinnerboy

blobert wrote: »

Does anyone know if you are obliged to include something like this in a mews

In my experience - yes

blobert wrote: »

or if you could get just get planning permission to not have it?

In my experience - no.

sinnerboy

I had the experience once where a client of a practice I worked in obtained permission for and built a mews like the one you linked to i.e. it included an integrated garage. After about two years the client thought

people just park outside their house (where nobody else is allowed park in any case) and the my garage is constantly empty. This strikes me as a huge waste of space, especially if you as I have are only dealing with a small site.

So he heard "down the pub" that that you can convert your garage with permission. So he did. And then got served with an enforcement notice.

blobert

Thanks. I had been thinking that in the case of you having to have a garage you could at least design it in such a way as to be useful room in your house when it inevitably is not used as a garage, would be annoying to get it trouble for this also!

While it makes sense to have newly built homes provide parking, in a particular case such as this where the house is directly on the street and you can either let the owner park outside their own door or force them into having a garage while they still park on the street in front of their own down, do planners not have the ability/power to apply common sense?

Thanks again for the replies

sydthebeat

blobert wrote: »

Thanks. I had been thinking that in the case of you having to have a garage you could at least design it in such a way as to be useful room in your house when it inevitably is not used as a garage, would be annoying to get it trouble for this also!

While it makes sense to have newly built homes provide parking, in a particular case such as this where the house is directly on the street and you can either let the owner park outside their own door or force them into having a garage while they still park on the street in front of their own down, do planners not have the ability/power to apply common sense?

Thanks again for the replies

when it "inevitably" is not used as a garage, then it is unauthorised development and will be subject to enforcement action.

Its the 'use' that determines planning categories, not really the 'look'

blobert

sydthebeat wrote: »

when it "inevitably" is not used as a garage, then it is unauthorised development and will be subject to enforcement action.

Its the 'use' that determines planning categories, not really the 'look'

Thanks. So do you know is it something that is set in stone (that a mews house on the street must have integrated parking) or do planners have the ability to look at it on a case by case basis and make a decision?

Thanks again for the advice!

sydthebeat

blobert wrote: »

Thanks. So do you know is it something that is set in stone (that a mews house on the street must have integrated parking) or do planners have the ability to look at it on a case by case basis and make a decision?

Thanks again for the advice!

the planners will have standards and guidelines to work to.

The do look at every case individually, but minimum standards must be achieved.

Your best option at this stage is to met the local area planner in a pre=planning meeting and put forward your ideas and plans to him/her for their comments + suggestions.

blobert

sydthebeat wrote: »

the planners will have standards and guidelines to work to.

The do look at every case individually, but minimum standards must be achieved.

Your best option at this stage is to met the local area planner in a pre=planning meeting and put forward your ideas and plans to him/her for their comments + suggestions.

Thanks for that! Any idea where I find a local area planner for the area (in Dublin City Council)? Would it be here: http://www.dublincity.ie/Planning/PlanningPermission/PlanningSearch/Pages/PlanningSearch.aspx

kilclon

Yes ring that number Tel: (01) 222 2151

They prob have planning clinics on certain days of the week where you can meet a planner. This would probably be best. Alternatively you could talk to them on the phone but I'm not a fan of this.