S.I. No. 493/2022 - Planning And Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. 3) Regulations 2022

1. Where such development is located within a solar safeguarding zone, the total aperture area of any solar photo-voltaic and/or solar thermal collector panels, taken together with any other such panels previously placed on a roof, shall not exceed 300 square metres.

2. Where such development is located within a solar safeguarding zone, the planning authority for the area shall be notified in writing no later than 4 weeks after the commencement of such development and such notification shall include details regarding the location and scale of the development.

3. The distance between the plane of the roof and the solar photo-voltaic or solar thermal collector panels shall not exceed 1.2 metres in the case of a flat roof or 15cm in any other case.

4. The solar photo-voltaic or solar thermal collector panels shall be a minimum of 2 metres in the case of a flat roof or 50cm in any other case from the edge of the roof on which it is mounted.

5. Development shall not be exempted development where the highest part of the solar photo-voltaic or solar thermal collector installation exceeds the highest part of any roof that is not a flat roof (excluding any chimney).

6. Any ancillary equipment associated with solar photo-voltaic or solar thermal collector panels shall not be placed or erected on a wall or any roof that is not a flat roof.

7. The height of any ancillary equipment associated with solar photo-voltaic or solar thermal collector panels on a flat roof shall not exceed 1.6 metres above roof level.

8. Any ancillary equipment associated with solar photo-voltaic or solar thermal collector panels on a flat roof shall be a minimum of 2 metres from the edge of the roof on which it is mounted.

9. The total aperture area of any wall mounted solar photo-voltaic and solar thermal collector panels taken together with any other such existing wall mounted panels shall not exceed 75 square metres.

10. The distance between the plane of the wall and the solar photo-voltaic or solar thermal collector panels shall not exceed 15cm.

11. The solar photo-voltaic or solar thermal collector panels shall be a minimum of 50cm from the edge of the wall on which it is mounted.

12. Any free-standing solar photo-voltaic or solar thermal collector installation shall not be placed or erected forward of the front wall of the nearest agricultural structure, within the curtilage of the agricultural holding, to a public road.

13. The total aperture area of any free-standing solar photo-voltaic and solar thermal collector panels taken together with any other such existing free-standing panels shall not exceed 75 square metres.

14. The height of any free-standing solar photo-voltaic or solar thermal collector installation shall not exceed 2.5 metres at its highest point above ground level.

15. The placing or erection of any free-standing solar photo-voltaic or solar thermal collector installation within an Architectural Conservation Area shall only be exempted development if those works would not materially affect the character of the area.

16. No sign, advertisement or object not required for the functioning or safety of the solar photo-voltaic or solar thermal collector installation shall be attached to or exhibited on such installation.

17. Development under this Class shall only be exempted development where the solar photo-voltaic or solar thermal collector installation is primarily used for the provision of electricity or heating for use within the curtilage of the agricultural holding, and shall not be considered a change of use for the purposes of the Act.

18. Development under this Class which causes hazardous glint and/or glare shall not be exempted development and any solar photo-voltaic or solar thermal collector panels which are causing hazardous glint and/or glare shall either be removed or be covered until such time as a mitigation plan to address the hazardous glint and/or glare is agreed and implemented to the satisfaction of the Planning Authority.

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(2) For convenience of reference, there is set out in the amendments provided for in sub-article (1) the relevant headings that apply for the columns concerned.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

5 October 2022.

DARRAGH O’BRIEN,

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(

This note is not part of the instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.

)

These Regulations amend the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended (the Principal Regulations).

Article 5 of these Regulations amends Part 1 (Exempted Development —General) of Schedule 2 to the Principal Regulations by amending aspects of Class 2, and Class 56 and adding new Classes 60 and 61 relating to exemptions from the requirement to obtain planning permission for certain solar installations.

Article 6 of these Regulations amends Part 3 (Exempted Development —General) of Schedule 2 to the Principal Regulations by amending aspects of Class 18 relating to exemptions from the requirement to obtain planning permission for agricultural solar installations.

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of

7

th October,

2022.

WHEREAS I, DARRAGH O’BRIEN, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, am of the opinion that development to which the following regulations apply would not offend against principles of proper planning and sustainable development by reason of the nature and limited effect of development belonging to that class on its surroundings; and

WHEREAS a draft of the following regulations has been laid before each House of the Oireachtas and a resolution approving that draft has been passed by each such House;

NOW I, DARRAGH O’BRIEN, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by subsection (2) of section 4 and

section 262

of the

Planning and Development Act 2000

(No. 30 of 2000) (as adapted by the Housing, Planning and Local Government (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2020 (S.I. No. 408/2020)), hereby make the following regulations

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