'Room to Improve' home developed without appropriate planning permission
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The Tipperary home featured on Sunday night’s was developed without the appropriate planning permission, with the go-ahead to retain the development granted just three days before the show aired.
The project featuring the home of Brian Carrigg and Kate Moloney at Pigeon Park, Cashel, was an overhaul of a 1970s-style bungalow, built with a view of the popular Rock of Cashel tourist attraction.
The development included a large extension at the rear of the property, as well as the conversion of the upstairs to a fourth bedroom.
On November 21, the couple lodged an application with Tipperary County Council seeking permission for retention for the demolition of an existing rear kitchen and utility extension and the construction of a 1.5-storey rear extension accommodating kitchen, dining, living area, and first-floor master bedroom suite including a first-floor box dormer window, internal alterations, and associated site works all to the existing detached single-storey dwelling. The application also included the demolition of existing sheds and construction of a new relocated shed at the site.
In a letter sent to Tipperary County Council, Ciaran Devine of Dermot Bannon Architects said: “The original client brief was for a rear ground floor single storey extension designed to be within the limits of an exempted development under the Second Schedule. However, the clients have since decided to utilise the generous roof space within the extension to create a master bedroom suite with the inclusion of south facing box dormer window. It is therefore outside the terms of an exempted development and we would therefore submit the above information to regularise the as built extension.”
A decision was due on the project on January 24. Permission was granted on January 11.
The couple were able to avail of €98,000 in government funding between the vacant homes grant, the derelict houses grant, and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) grant, for a project which cost €363,000.
The couple bought the property for €303,000 and had hoped to move into it ahead of the project.
However, the property, which had been vacant for a number of years, was deemed too cold and the couple and their two boys moved in with Kate’s sister until the project was completed.
The Department of Housing said that the vacant property refurbishment grant was launched in July 2022 ”to support bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use as homes, with support of up to €50,000 being provided for the refurbishment of vacant properties and a further €20,000 available where the property is derelict”.
While there was criticism on social media of Sunday night’s project, a Department of Housing spokesman said: “Feedback on the grant has been very positive to date with over 6,050 applications received and over 3,200 applications approved. In light of the success of the grant, last month Government agreed to increase the target for homes to be delivered from 2,000 to 4,000 by 2025. Government also announced the extension of the Local Authority Home.”
In a statement to the , RTÉ said is a factual-entertainment series focusing on a single build in each episode.
"This can be a long process, lasting at times up to two years from initial consultation to completion. Building is a regulated industry with a range of building regulations, controls, and compliance checks," it said.
"While each programme follows a format, every build is real life build. Plans can — and sometimes do — change. While the series at times endeavours to give a flavour of this, it would change the nature of the show completely if every regulatory issue were to feature in every episode."
A second statement added: "The project started off as a 40sq/m extension to the rear of the house which would have been an exempted development. During construction and when the clients saw the attic space they asked if it could be used as a bedroom the conversion from attic space to habitable space pushed it over the 40sqm so we took a decision to apply for retention permission as the structure had been constructed as a roof. Retention is a mechinasim that can be used to regularise planning issues that may arise during construction due to design or site condition changes."
"The payment of grants are not contingent upon planning permission being in order in this situation. The grants are solely for the upgrade works to the existing house which didn't require panning permission. there are a few instances where planning permission would be required for works to an existing house i.e works to a protected structure but that did not apply in this instance."