ALMOST 90 applications for retention permission were refused by Limerick City and County Council (LCCC) since 2019, new research has shown.
Planners in Limerick’s local authority refused to grant 88 applications for retention permission in the past five years, the research by the Irish Independent showed.
LCCC did, however, grant 802 applications for retention permission.
Limerick had the second highest amount of retention permission cases refused, coming in after Dublin, according to the figures from the Irish Independent.
Retention permission is sought in a case where unauthorised building works have been carried out without seeking planning permission from the local authority.
Sometimes known as ‘build now, ask questions later’, applications for retention can be for minor works, such as changing the use of a garage or deviating from previously approved planning permission, but larger works have also come under the retention system, including house extensions and even one-off housing.
One recent application for retention permission refused locally was in the case of a family who had built a modular home in their back garden for the mother of one of the applicants.
Council planners refused the development as it would be in contravention of the Limerick Development Plan, which states that ‘granny flats’ shall be constructed as an extension to the house, not as a detached structure.
“There will be a presumption against detached residential structures in all settings. Therefore, this proposal is considered to be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area,” the refusal notice stated.
