Widening a gate and planning

arctictree

I did some work last year where I widened a gate on an R road. It used to be a deathtrap as I'd have to park on the road with my jeep and trailer and hope that I wasn't rear ended while opening the field gate (as there is a hump on the road behind). Now I have an entrance where I can drive in, stop and open the gate with nothing sticking out on the road.

The council have now informed me that I should have applied for planning permission for this and that I will need to go for retention.

Whats the story with that? I have a neighbor who applied for planning to do the exact same thing and it was refused! Mad country really.

Count Mondego

Ignore them. F#ckin idiots.

lakill Farm

arctictree wrote: »

I did some work last year where I widened a gate on an R road. It used to be a deathtrap as I'd have to park on the road with my jeep and trailer and hope that I wasn't rear ended while opening the field gate (as there is a hump on the road behind). Now I have an entrance where I can drive in, stop and open the gate with nothing sticking out on the road.

The council have now informed me that I should have applied for planning permission for this and that I will need to go for retention.

Whats the story with that? I have a neighbor who applied for planning to do the exact same thing and it was refused! Mad country really.

great to see Wicklow Co Co has the same common sense the our own Westmeath co co has.

I personally would ignore them. you did it for health and safety. just say to them that you will reinstate the gateway to original unsafe set up when they put in an area for you to safety park in while opening the gate.

The councils run scared when you mention health and safety. always get a copy of communication in writing (letter or email) and make sure you ask the engineers for there grade and engineer Ireland membership number

Buford T. Justice XIX

arctictree wrote: »

I did some work last year where I widened a gate on an R road. It used to be a deathtrap as I'd have to park on the road with my jeep and trailer and hope that I wasn't rear ended while opening the field gate (as there is a hump on the road behind). Now I have an entrance where I can drive in, stop and open the gate with nothing sticking out on the road.

The council have now informed me that I should have applied for planning permission for this and that I will need to go for retention.

Whats the story with that? I have a neighbor who applied for planning to do the exact same thing and it was refused! Mad country really.

I'd say have a chat with the planner for your area and explain with photos and maps how dangerous it was. I think you will have to engage with them to get a resolution and it might be no harm to engage an engineer who knows the system and how to resolve it to do that for you.

George Sunsnow

Wicklow Co Co and Wexford CoCo okayed large scale moving and removing of trees ditches and entrances along about 20 km's of road recently to facilitate the transport of turbines to a windfarm

They are no one to talk so when it comes to a simple widening a farm gate for health and safety purposes

Have a chat with a friendly local councillor first

Base price

OP, I came across this thread from 2011. It maybe of help
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056220554

Muckit

Did you get an official letter from council posted out to you? Or is this just some member of council wagging his tongue on a power trip?

If the communication was in writing, l would address it. If not, l'd forget about it.

arctictree

Muckit wrote: »

Did you get an official letter from council posted out to you? Or is this just some member of council wagging his tongue on a power trip?

If the communication was in writing, l would address it. If not, l'd forget about it.

Was at a pre planning meeting about an underpass (about 100M from this gate) and they brought this up. Asked, what this entrance was. I explained that it was a gate I widened and they said that needs to get planning.

lakill Farm

arctictree wrote: »

Was at a pre planning meeting about an underpass (about 100M from this gate) and they brought this up. Asked, what this entrance was. I explained that it was a gate I widened and they said that needs to get planning.

🀣 Amateur. You always need to say " I'll check that and come back to you" Never committe to something like that.

Markcheese

Ensure they are aware there was an existing gateway... That you widened, made safer, don't ignore them though, but don't lose sleep over it either..

jmrc

in the same predicament, want to widen a gate and up-grade it.... i'll be getting a digger to "crash" into the existing gap and making sh1t of the existing setup... plenty of pics, leave it that way for a week or so and in with the new wider gate....
thats my planing anyway....

freedominacup

jmrc wrote: »

in the same predicament, want to widen a gate and up-grade it.... i'll be getting a digger to "crash" into the existing gap and making sh1t of the existing setup... plenty of pics, leave it that way for a week or so and in with the new wider gate....
thats my planing anyway....

When the 18ft trailers first started to make an appearance we had a golden rule to "never go in the first time". First lad in bring the pillar with him. Get the loader down then to tidy things up. Pillar usual ended up a good ten feet from its starting point.


Edit:Things were simpler then.

Water John

Shove it in along with the underpass planning.

BTW, you had a 'near miss' there and that why you acted urgently.

discodaveirl

A neighbour of mine here had an accident on an R road (previously the N5 upto 2007/8). Parked tractor on edge of road to open/close gate. Car hit tractor and split it at the bell housing. Within a week, the gate had been wixened and brought back from the road.


In your case id say that the gate had been widened about 8-10 years ago, just trimmed back the bushes around it lately. Would also send a letter to the road safety officer in the council saying that your narrowing the gate width and returning it to its previous location (reinstating it as requested by the council). That you'll be parking on the dangerous part of the road in which you've had a number of near misses on..