Connemara residents have blamed a ‘broken’ planning system for fuelling the housing crisis in the region.

A major new survey of opinion in Connemara has revealed a huge level of frustration with the planning system – with three-quarters of respondents saying it has ‘negatively affected’ their ability or family members’ ability to build homes in the area.

The online poll, carried out by Connemara Chamber of Commerce, found 80% of respondents believed the planning system was “not fair or fit for purpose”.

It also found a large majority of people – 88% of respondents – think people living outside of Connemara should not have a right to object to planning applications for rural housing in the region.

Even more people (91%) felt residents living in Connemara for ten years or more should have a right to build a home there.

And a total of 72% of respondents said the planning system has negatively affected their (or family members’) ability to build a house in Connemara.

Read details of the survey in full in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.