Monday, November 27, 2006

We'll have no trouble here...

Typical.

"ONLY locals living in one of the country's fastest growing counties will be able to apply for planning permission to live there.

A new County Development Plan for Wexford is to be on public display in the coming weeks. But restrictions being imposed in Wexford town mean that while someone living there could apply for planning permission for a house in, for example, Rosslare, another person looking to move there from Dublin will be unable to do so.

In Gorey, the restrictions involve a large area of land, including Courtown.

The restrictions will affect Gorey, New Ross, Wexford, Enniscorthy, Ferns and Bunclody.

Wexford has a population growth of 13 per cent, one of the highest in the country.

The plan, approved last week, will go on display for 10 weeks."

I was alerted to this a few days ago from a gleeful friend of mine who has been waffling on about 'blow-ins' pushing up prices for years now. This same friend has seen her own business treble from said blow-ins' money, but never let reason get in the way of a countrygal's sniffy dislike for out of towners.
My mother will be on next. Let the bellyaching begin.
First, I can't imagine why anyone would WANT to move down the country, but if they do they should be allowed live where ever the hell they like/can afford to. The reason most people move is because they can no longer afford property in the city, and not everyone wants to shell out half a million for an ex council house in Inchicore or crumlin- solid though they may be. Folk are being vilified for wanting bigger homes and maybe a bit of space for their kids and sneered at for not 'fitting in' (although how the hell can you fit in someplace where unless you go back two generations you're still not local?).
I'm a country girl myself, I have lived away from my village since I was 16 (as long as possible). The thoughts of going back there to live makes me come out in goose bumps. But that's just me. Lot's of people move away from home in their early adulthood, will they be allowed move back and apply for PP? And if they are why not someone else?
It all sounds bogey to me.

13 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Christ, my Da is from New Ross, a town that has been dying a long lingering painful death for years. And now they want to block people from moving there? Very smart people in charge obviously, just waiting for that shipping and fertilizer resurgence that'll happen any day now.

We moved from Meath to Kilkenny when I was six in 1974. That was the first time I heard the word blow-in. Looks like not much has changed down the bog in 32 years.

10:18 a.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It seems to be an even stranger story with planning, etc down my end of the country. A friend of mine recently had terrible trouble getting planning for a house on his family's site. He was supposed to prove a Need For Housing, etc - he was advised to join the GAA to prove what an asset to the community he was. And y'know what? It worked.

On the other hand, you get these newly built dormers down the Burren with For Sale signs in front of them. Need For Housing there? Ha. If things smell fishy in Wexford, fear not because I think there's a whiff of whiting all around the country.

11:00 a.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Surely that can't be legal?

If it's not then what's to stop anyone saying "No blacks, no Polish, no Galwegians'?

11:13 a.m.  
Blogger fatmammycat said...

It's a weird one all right. The GAA, eh? figures, that's like being a member of the free masons or the stone cutters or whatever shady bunch of chums who really run things are called.
But you're right. Another friend of mine is looking for PP in Wicklow and she has to get a letter from her old Primary School teacher, her parish priest and a local Guard to 'prove' she is from around there. The mere fact that the site is two miles as the crow flies from her parents' house-where she grew up- doesn't even come into it apparently.
God, New Ross, I got ferociously drunk in Rosbercon one time, not velly gud at all.

11:17 a.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

God almighty, only in Ireland. I was telling this tale to some of the lads here at work and they were roaring laughing at how ridiculous the entire notion of that is. And (like Twenty said), the first thing out of their mouths after they stopped laughing was "that must be against the law".

1:10 p.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ah now, dont yiz be scoffing... anyone from anywhere can buy an auld house... anywhere, right?

So what you do is you apply to build an auld house for one of yer many offspring who (ahem) wants to come back to the earth he/she sprang from to be close to the ould mammy an daddy in their twilight years.

No matter that same offspring have a fine job with an oil company in far Arabia... or that they're happily settled with spouse and children in Vancouver... or that they're making a mint down in Australia... the permission's got and the house is built and on the market sooner than you can say auctioneer-county councillor.

These sensible arrangements wash more hands, so don't yiz be selling yer land to any furriners from out the road!

Apply for FPP, then build and they will come...

1:27 p.m.  
Blogger fatmammycat said...

Not in Wickow. It's notorious down there. I think you have to offer the blood of your first born and an eye to get planning.
The thing is, as Swearing Lady rightly says, there are plenty of existing homes on the market, so the local planners are not objecting to the blow-ins blowing in, just that they can only buy existing home. But house prices are so high now that it makes financial sense to build and if folk are going to be squeezed out of that bracket, what then?

1:37 p.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Why then, Ms Portly Maternal Cat, said property will be bought as an investment (you know it makes sense when capital gains tax was reduced some years back from 40-20% by our esteemed right wing, regressively taxing, leaders).
Then it will be rented to the folks who can't afford to buy it... and even more hands are washed with all the transactions... banks... lawyers... auctioneers... developers... builders... newspapers...

3:09 p.m.  
Blogger fatmammycat said...

Think of the solicitors! Won't someone please think of the solicitors...

3:33 p.m.  
Blogger Sam, Problem-Child-Bride said...

What a bad idea. There are few places in such desperate need of cosmopolitanization than rural Scotland and Ireland. When I was growing up there were still people in the Hebrides who thought cancer was a shameful disease: God's punishment for something or other because He wasn't getting enough jollies from watching all these screaming, burning souls writhing in eternal agony in Hell. Not big on forgiveness and turning the other cheek was that God.

5:48 p.m.  
Blogger Sam, Problem-Child-Bride said...

My point there was that a bit of healthy competition from some Hare Krishnas or something might have created a less barmy society with people less terrified to think for themselves. The steady stream of new ideas etc.

S'market forces, innit?

5:52 p.m.  
Blogger fatmammycat said...

My mother-and I'm sure I've mentioned this before- is one of the very first to start with the 'outsiders/blow-ins' big gun bleat, but she would also be the very first to try flog a site to an outsider at a not inconsiderable price. Now this planning thing had thwarted her and several of her equally land rich money poor buddies. So even the 'locals' aren't too happy.
Vengeful God, eh? Sounds tiresome. Mine likes children, kittens, people who appreciate stuff, people who don't diss his ass when things are going sprightly then come looking for favours when stuff is wrong, sunny days, people getting it on and folk who don't steal. He is a reasonable sort of Guy, I wouldn't cross him mind.

6:43 p.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Badly thought out planning rules that would be open to legal challenge but it will need someone with plenty of money as it will probably end up in the European courts.

Blatant discrimination and stifling of free trade.

8:09 p.m.  

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