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Moving a front drive pillar dublin

  • 12-03-2025 08:34PM
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 29


    Hi,

    I understand I need to get planning permission to move our front driveway pillar in dublin to make a wider opening. Has anyone done this and if so can you advise on the process? I don't want to spend a fortune on plans etc just a simple moving a pillar job to widen our entrance.

    Thanks



«1

Comments

  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 41,849 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    Yes I’ve lodged a 100 of these in Dublin I’d say by now.
    straight forward planning process. Where are you based?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,417 ✭✭✭Gusser09


    Needs planning but most never bother and there are never any consquences. We had pillar moved out. Spoke to neighbours who also had it done. Saved some money and months of waiting.



  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 41,849 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    No bother until you try sell or enforcement gets involved. As with the idiots recently that down the EWI and are now crying sympathy.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,417 ✭✭✭Gusser09


    Lol. Thats not true. It just isnt. Plenty of houses sold where pillars have been moved. And there hasnt been issues. Come on.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,645 ✭✭✭Sono


    I moved my pillar about 7 years ago and never got any planning, hope it doesn’t become an issue if I ever sell!



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,417 ✭✭✭Gusser09




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 967 ✭✭✭geographica


    I’ve sold property with same and no issue whatsoever



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 46,781 ✭✭✭✭muffler


    On what professional basis and qualification do you confirm that there will be no issue?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,417 ✭✭✭Gusser09


    I base it on the fact that i have seen multiple neighbours do this without issue. I have also seen a lot of these houses sold without issue.

    Of course someone could be unlucky and it might be an issue if the buyer decides to make it one. Ive never heard of it though. Its just never an issue.

    But planners, architects and whoever elese that charge for submitting PP applications will tell you that you cant sell a house if youve moved a pillar. I wonder why.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 46,781 ✭✭✭✭muffler


    So in other words you aren't qualified to prove your assertion which is based on hearsay only. Great!



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  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 41,849 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    LOL. It is true. If the buyers survey picks up on the altered boundary they will seek a copy of the planning and compliance for same.

    Same for the house owner. They have to fill out a declaration signed by their solicitor that they haven’t carried out any works or alterations to the property.

    So yes, it is true.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,417 ✭✭✭Gusser09


    Based on looking at eplans. None of my neighbours have applied for pp for this. 6 of their houses sold. And id bet ill find hundreds more around my locality.

    How did they manage to sell without pp for the pillar move?

    Its not an issue at all for anyone apart from out resident red tape cheer leaders on boards.



  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 41,849 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    It will depend on the buyers pre-purchase survey. A good surveyor will pick up on it. You will also have to fill out a sellers declaration stating whether you’ve carried out any alterations.

    If you lie, your solicitors has signed that and the buyer could in theory sue you down the line. I’m not a legal expert so take that bit with a pinch of salt. But you’ve lied on the disclosure so I don’t see why they couldn’t.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,417 ✭✭✭Gusser09


    So how do people sell when they have done this wihtout PP?



  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 41,849 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    That’s the problem. You’ve seen it get by on a handful of occasions so very limited in the data pool. It’s like the commute every day, I see 5 people use the bus lane and don’t get caught, therefore, going by your opinion, it’s ok to use it daily and you won’t get caught.

    I see it from the other end. I get calls from sellers having to regularise the planning before sales do though. Probably 10 since last summer gone in for retention.

    You also can’t dish the public foot path without a valid planning.



  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 41,849 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    Buyer didn’t get a survey done.
    Buyer didn’t do a site specific planning check.
    buyer most likely didn’t want to make a deal of it as they want the wider entrance.

    Loads of reasons why it could have gone through.

    How did they dish the foot path?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 46,781 ✭✭✭✭muffler


    And what about the guy in the other thread (re external insulation that he has been told to remove or get retention) what advice would you have given him had he asked you? Sure he is living in a street where other houses have had it done without planning so no doubt you would have told him to carry on and it would never become an issue.

    Not only in this thread but in others you are telling people to work away and there will never be any repercussions. Add in your constant disdain of architects, engineers, planners etc would make you the last person anyone should listen to.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 29 snx92


    Hi, in case we sell down the road I want to go about it above board for me its just not worth the worry that it may become an issue. We are based in south dublin Rathfarnham area. My question is how do I go about this process of applying for planning? How much is the planning application/drawings likely to cost ?

    Thanks



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 29 snx92


    Hi, in case we sell down the road I want to go about it above board for me its just not worth the worry that it may become an issue. We are based in south dublin Rathfarnham area. My question is how do I go about this process of applying for planning? How much is the planning application/drawings likely to cost ?

    Thanks



  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 41,849 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    Check out planning applications for similar in your area. Have a look at the agent details and call them to see if they can give you a price.

    Or ask friends/family who have got similar jobs done to recommend who they used.

    You can also do the planning yourself if you’re competent enough to tie in newspaper notices, OSi Maps, site notice and drawings sufficient for planning. There’s no restriction on who can apply for the planning for you.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 528 ✭✭✭DrPsychia


    Officially, yes. Unofficially, maybe, it depends where you live.

    A lot of people in Dublin do it without planning permission but if you want to sell your house in the future you will likely have to apply for rentention planning, however, it's often easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.

    Have a look around your greater area for widenings done recently, then check for planning permission on myplan.ie. I'd be willing to bet a lot didn't apply for PP.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 29 snx92


    Thanks both very helpful. Much appreciated will take a look.



  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 41,849 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    ”however, it's often easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission”

    I often see this mentioned by people not involved in the industry. Let’s say the OP goes for retention in 5 years time it’s more expensive for retention, it’s triple the LA fee.

    Let’s say the OP made the entrance 3.2m wide. When they get retention (please god), it will be conditioned back to 3m (current DCC max width). The op will then have to pay construction costs to alter the driveway again as you are considered on the current widths allowance at the time of application. If he does 3m now, and the councils drop the allowance to 2.75 in future, he has to do same. Unlikely to drop to that low but to get the point across.

    This happened recently on a job I done. Owner had no choice as the buyers solicitor wanted a cert of compliance with the retention permission. The cert couldn’t be issued until the driveway was reduced. So home owner paid twice to alter their gates before selling.

    Always easier to get planning beforehand. Cheaper, less stressful and you can legally get the council to dosh the footpath.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 434 ✭✭heffomike54


    I am currently engaged getting planning permission for other works on my house, but the architect said it would not be possible to extend the entrance way due to regulations. Builder said the same, said it could have an "accident" during the other works but he didn't want to hear of any blowback, so not bothering now. Guessing it might depend on the area and measurements involved.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 478 ✭✭Fishdoodle


    I wondered about this also. I would recommend ringing the local authority and ask them. I did this in the past and was told it was ok to extend the pillar by its width without applying for planning permission. (Having given the opening measurement).



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 967 ✭✭✭geographica




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,463 ✭✭✭sprucemoose


    i always found people who say 'its easier to ask for forgiveness…' would inevitably then talk about the famous '7 year rule' (which of course isnt a thing, or at least not in the way most people understand it)



  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 41,849 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    Nothing in the Planning Act allows this. Have you got that in writing from the LA?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 478 ✭✭Fishdoodle


    No.Nothing written, just the name of the person I spoke to. She told me if it was any wider that I should apply for planning permission.

    Following that call, the co council were doing dishing repairs on the road. I spoke to a chief engineer on site & asked about planning. He told me an application was required to extend driveway & gave me an estimate on dishing cost. (I can’t find the pdf on planning requirements to get wording). But I do remember wording to the effect of .. planning is required for widening a vehicular entrance to the road.

    So, I made the point that widening the entrance TO the road wasn’t the consideration (which would infringe on the footpath/dishing), only moving the gate pillar sideways. In that case, he told me I could move the pillar without planning. Again, nothing in writing, but he did pass on his name.

    I notice many pillars have been widened in the area so cars don't get scratched (original gap, too narrow for modern cars) , but dishing remains unaltered. I believe most people go about this without planning. Regulations aside, it makes practical sense to get parked cars off the road. I don’t think people would object unless the property was a Georgian type etc.

    Selling on a house, of course, an issue might arise….on this I don’t know to be honest!



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  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 41,849 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    Nothing they told you holds any merit unfortunately.

    When they repair footpaths, they will dish any entrances in place, some got lucky in that regard.

    Just before Covid, a row of houses near me got wind the LA were doing the paths in the new year. I got 3 houses in a row all in for planning and they got the paths dished for free then 😁. Usually costs about €800.

    You might be lucky in your case, it really depends on how good the buyers survey is to be honest and how well clued in they are.



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