7.3 Remote Working and Home-Based Economic Activity in Rural Areas

Dúnta22 Nol, 2020, 9:00am - 12 Már, 2021, 5:00pm

7.3 Remote Working and Home-Based Economic Activity in Rural Areas

The trend of people working from home is continuing to increase, either through e-working or setting up a home-based economic activity.  Remote-working can be defined as “any business function that is conducted away from the office using modern communications and information technologies”.  The popularity of working from home has increased due to advances in broadband and communication technology and the savings achieved in terms of time and commuting costs.  This approach has been boosted due to the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic and the restrictions placed on society on movement and gatherings of people.  The trend towards more remote working likely to grow during the lifetime of the plan.

Applications for small-scale home-based economic activity in rural areas where the occupants of an existing dwelling are employed at home will be positively considered.  Home based economic activity should be sited either in converted existing farm buildings located adjacent to the main dwelling house or within the house where the use is compatible with and ancillary to the use of the dwelling as a home. The Council will facilitate new development and/or the conversion of part of a dwelling to an appropriate home-based economic activity in rural areas, where the dwelling remains as the main residence of the practitioner, and the economic use is clearly ancillary to the residential use and subject to compliance with normal planning and environmental criteria. Home based businesses, which wish to expand beyond employing the household on site, will be required to locate in a village or other area suitable to the use proposed.

Clár ábhair

Baile