Planning - Lob Cabin behind House - Carlow

Questions aren't silly at all. First of all any house type in the back yard/garden is usually unacceptable but a log cabin is a bigger problem in a way. Used as a garden shed they might be acceptable but not as a dwelling house. Your relation doesn't need 2 or 3 bedrooms so I would suggest you consider a granny flat attached to the house. This would be more acceptable to the planners.

Im talking generally here as each planning application has to be treated on its own merits. Im assuming this is in a rural location but regardless the planners will normally take the view of "1 site for 1 house". You are hoping to have 2 houses on a single site and this is something that is not normally allowed and on face value it is likely that a planning application for this proposal would be refused.

However every case is different and matters such as site size, zoning, sewage disposal, etc etc all have to be examined. There is a facility provided by all local authorities titled "pre-planning inquiry" and maybe this is something you should look into. The service is free, you email/post a copy of plans (sketches would suffice), maps etc to the planning office and you then get a meeting with the local planner where you can discuss your proposal in a bit more detail. They give you a verbal indication that day and follow it up with a written response which will indicate their opinion on the proposal. They cant tell you yes or no but you will have a good idea as to what way they are thinking.

The other alternative is to engage a local architect/engineer/technician to first of all advise you and then if necessary make a planning application if they deem it worthy of doing so.

I'll go back to my original comment. If you want to look after the mother in law and get planning for a building then you should seriously consider a granny flat.

I've surprisingly seen an application granted for a 2 or 3 bed holiday home detached from main house. This is in a rural area where its difficult to get planning for house for locals.

I thought it was a no hoper and they actually applied for holiday home too which is usually a straight no.

In the OPs case, I'd be looking at isolation unit etc - development plans have taken account of covid and people with poor health needing separate living quarters etc. Would be a very valid reason to need a detached independent living unit on a property.

Log cabin is a non runner.

You have a lot of stuff that you havent got right. First of all do not listen to what the log cabin manufacturers say or state on their brochures or website. Any structure that is habitable requires planning permission and there are no exceptions to that. Temporary or permanent makes no difference nor is there anything in planning legislation about foundations - temporary or permanent.

Before you go off spending money foolishly you need to discuss the project with a local "planning agent" and certainly not a guy who is trying to get you to buy his garden shed while masquerading it as some form of house.

thats what people always say but there is much more to it than that, even though broadly speaking there is some truth in it

as another poster said, the only hope you have of anything like this getting through planning is if you engage a professional - archiect/engineer etc, - who can at least advise but more likely prepare and submit an application for you. from my experience, you will almost definitely not get planning for anything other than a conventional granny flat

and temporary structures like this would still have to have planning permission, whether you actually obtain it or not is up to you. but i would strongly against just hoping that you can have it standing for 7 years and think that its all fine then, it is in no way as simple as that

There's no ignorance on my part. I am more than familiar with these type of structures and I am also more than familiar with planning and building regulations. But hey, if you want to believe those guys then knock yourself out.

OP. All I will add is you've been given some sound advice, and fair play to you all for coming forward.

It's up to you whether you listen to any of it. If I was you, I'd certainly do so, although you are right, there are many examples of others, 'It's my land and I'll do what I want with it' types who have taken the chance. Not for me though. Good luck in how you persue it.

There’s no silly questions. But to be blunt they do highlight an inexperience and perhaps some misunderstanding.

You may not intend to subdivide now, but you could charge your mind on that in future. So not really an argument in your favour.

Timeline. Will definitely be a FI request so I’d say 6-12months start to finish.

I doubt anyone would believe you’re building a 3bed guest house for occasional use. I certainly would lie about the intended use.

Coats can vary. Depends how much of the application you handle vrs a professional.

You don’t need full and final design, only the rough size and layout.

If full separation is the only workable option, that’s fine. But the application should reflect that.

Dressing it up as an annex to the original house is unlikely to fly when in reality it’s a separate independent dwelling.

Im sure you’ve seen similar. But you’ve no idea how they structured it legally. Most often the site is subdivided and a fully separate house built for a family member.

Companies that tell you planning isn’t required are lying. They are basically trying to con you out of your money. Pretty big red flag imo.1

Theres really no such thing as temporary/permanent foundations. But regardless, a temporary/demountable building has no bearing on planning in this instance. You’re building a house, it requires planing in every single council.

This is incorrect. After 7 years they can’t knock it, but you are haven’t got away with it. When you (or your children) go to sell, the issues come back up to bite you.

There are many people happily living in similar cabin type homes. These things are usually fine, until they are not.

Say there was fire or a food and the insurance company enquires if it met building registrations? Elderly people living along would of course be higher risk. Exponentially worse if somebody was hurt.

An exemption exists for a home office to be built without planning permission.

Applying for a home office, that’s triple the size of a home office and has a full kitchen and bathroom will be kinda obvious what your intent is. There will be a condition that prevents it being used as a dwelling. So once you use it as that, it’s completely unauthorised and the same as if you just built it without planning.

The obvious things are such as applying for connections to services. You would be asked for the planning reference number and perhaps a copy of this. No planning equals no connections. Then there is a risk of someone reporting the unauthorised structure. That can get messy.

No wonder where in a accommodation crisis!!

So your saying adding or giving people the option to sort their own accommodation isn’t going to help?

Might work in certain contexts.

seems to work in other country’s.