Planning permission exemptions to convert former pubs to homes

Planning permission will no longer be required to convert vacant former pubs into residential units.

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, signed the new regulations on Friday, February 24 to tackle vacancies and increase much-needed housing supply to renew urban areas.

“Turning vacant properties into occupied homes is a major element of ‘ Housing for All’. Unfortunately, towns and villages have seen pubs close their doors for the last time in recent years, not least over the last two years. This new planning regulation will ease the planning burden for those who want to convert small and medium-sized pubs that are no longer viable and have ceased to operate, into residential housing,” Minister O’Brien said.

“The regulations will also continue to make it easier to get other forms of vacant commercial premises, including vacant spaces over ground floor premises, back into use for residential purposes such as ‘over the shop’ living”.

The new exemption is contained in an extension of 2018 Planning regulations that allow a change of use of certain vacant commercial premises, including vacant areas about ground-floor premises, to residential use such as ‘above shop’ living. The exemptions aim to increase the re-use of vacant commercial buildings to increase much-needed housing supply and renew urban areas.

Since 2018, 171 residential units have been provided in Cork city and county through 78 notifications of exempted developments.

The regulations signed by Minister O’Brien extend the exemption to the end of 2025.

According to the new exemptions, for the conversion of former pubs into a home(s), the pub’s license must have lapsed, and a limit of nine residential units can be produced under an exempted development.