Planning and Development

Planning Permission

Development Management

Anyone who wishes to develop land or property must apply to the council for planning permission unless the development is exempt. Planning permission is required to build or demolish property or significantly alter the use land or property.

You can apply for planning permission with us by post.

ePlanning now facilitates Planning Agents to submit planning applications electronically through the national planning portal. Further information is available www.fingal.ie/eplanning.

Making a Valid Application:

In order to make a valid application you must submit the following documents:

Completed application form. Planning Permission Application Form / Foirm Iarratais Pleanála
Correct fee. Fees differ depending on the type of development proposed. Download Planning Application Fees
Copy of public site notice. The site notice is placed on site for 5 weeks from the date of receipt of the planning application. You must replace it if it gets damaged or removed as your application could be invalidated. It should be placed where the site meets the public road and be clearly visible to public. Download Sample Site Notice Rev K and Guidelines for completing the Site Notice Rev K
Site location map (6 copies). This should be an Ordinance Survey map and scaled not less than 1:1000 (urban areas) and 1:2500 (rural areas). The site application must be outlined clearly in red, additional ownership in blue, wayleaves in yellow.
Site Layout Plan (Block Plan/ Site Plan) (6 copies) The scale should be not less than 1:500 (or other if previously agreed). Mark site application in red, show all relevant features, distances from boundaries, position of site notice/s, levels/ contours where applicable.
Copy of original newspaper notice in list of Approved Newspapers You must lodge the application within 2 weeks of the newspaper publication date. The Newspaper notice must contain:

Heading is the planning authority and include applicant’s name.
Nature of application i.e. permission type
Location, townland or postal address of the land or structure
Brief description of development
Include wording “The Planning Application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy at the offices of the Planning Authority during its public opening hours and a submission or observation may be made to the Planning Authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application.”

Some rural areas have specific conditions relating to local housing. You may also need to send in a Supplementary Application Form for Permission for a Dwelling in a Rural Area / Foirm Iarratais Fhorlíontach maidir le Cead Pleanála do Theaghais i gCeantar Tuaith‌

ADVISORY NOTE

“PLEASE DO NOT SEND CASH IN ENVELOPES WITH APPLICATIONS”

Payments can be made to the cash office in person, or by card over the phone from, 930 am to 3:30 pm daily. Applications can be made and will be accepted WITHOUT payment outside these hours and can be made later in the process up to the date of decision. Cash can only be accepted at the cash office and we cash cannot be accepted at the planning office.

Here is a Checklist for Planning Applications.

Planning Permission Process

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We will send your planning decision letter by registered post, usually 8 weeks from the date the application is received. If we ask for additional information on your application, you have up to 6 months from the date of the additional information request to send the response.

You, or any objectors have the right to appeal the decision to An Bord Pleanála within 4 weeks. If we grant permission and no appeal is made against the Council’s decision during the 4 weeks, we will then issue the final grant of planning permission. It should be noted that to allow for possible delays in An Bord Pleanála notifying the Council that an appeal has been lodged, it is Council policy to issue final grants of permission on a weekly basis 5 to 6 weeks after notification of decision to grant permission was made. As the final grant is an important document, therefore, you are advised to store it safely.

Exempt Development

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Exempt development is development for which Planning Permission is not required.

It generally relates to developments of a minor nature such as:-

Works of improvement, maintenance or other alterations that affect only the interior of a structure
Works that do not materially affect the external appearance of a structure
Building of an extension, shed, garage, boundary walls, etc. within the curtilage of a house subject to conditions and limitations
Certain changes of use of commercial premises

In the case of a Protected Structure and/or structures in an Architectural Conservation area:

It is important to note that most exemptions do not apply to structures that are included on the Council's Register of Protected Structures or that are situated in an architectural conservation area.
However, works may be exempted development if they do not affect: a) the character of particular structures, b) or specific parts of particular structures c) or specific features within the attendant grounds of particular structures .
However you should apply to the Local Authority for a written Declaration as to the type of works which it considers would or would not materially affect the character of the structure or of any element of the structure.

Not sure if your development is exempt?

You can apply for a document from us called a Declaration of Exemption, which confirms if you need for planning permission.

You do this by filling in the form below and sending it to us along with the list of documents and fee.

Download Declaration of Exemption from Planning Permission
Enclose fee of €80
Sufficient scaled drawings and site location map marking site as outlined on the application form.
Any other necessary details

New Class of Exempted Development – Class 20F

The Planning and Development (Amendment)(No. 4) Regulations 2022 [S.I. 605/2022] amend Part 1 of Schedule 2, entitled ‘Exempted Development - General’ to insert a new Class 20F exemption.

This new Class permits the change of use of the following structures for the purpose of providing the necessary facilities for international protection applicants:

“school, college, university, training centre, social centre, community centre, non-residential club, art gallery, museum, library, reading room, sports club or stadium, gymnasium, hotel, convention centre, conference centre, shop, office, Defence Forces barracks, light industrial building, airport operational building, wholesale warehouse or repository, local authority administrative office, play centre, medical and other health and social care accommodation, event and exhibition space or any structure or part of structure normally used for public worship or religious instruction.”

This provision is a temporary measure and will expire on 31 December 2028; the use of such structures shall cease on the expiry of the regulation.

CLASS 20F

Temporary use by or on behalf of the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to accommodate or support persons seeking international protection of any structure or part of a structure used as a school, college, university, training centre, social centre, community centre, non-residential club, art gallery, museum, library, reading room, sports club or stadium, gymnasium, hotel, convention centre, conference centre, shop, office, Defence Forces barracks, light industrial building, airport operational building, wholesale warehouse or repository, local authority administrative office, play centre, medical and other health and social care accommodation, event and exhibition space or any structure or part of structure normally used for public worship or religious instruction.

1. The temporary use shall only be for the purposes of accommodating persons seeking international protection.

2. The use shall be discontinued not later than 31 December 2024.

3. The relevant local authority shall be notified of locations where change of use is taking place prior the commencement of that change.

4. ‘international protection’, for the purpose of this class, has the meaning given to it in section 2(1) of the International Protection Act 2015 (No. 66 of 2015).

Notification Requirement

A planning authority must be notified in writing of the details of the development prior to the commencement of the proposed change of use.

Notification Exemption under Class 20F Rev B Form

New Exempted Development Regulations effective from May 2023

Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) Regulations 2023 (S.I. No. 250 of 2023) These regulations amend the existing Planning and Development Regulations 2001 (the Principal Regulations) to provide an exemption for the installation of RVMs at retail and certain other locations, subject to certain specified conditions and size limits.

Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. 2) Regulations 2023 (S.I. No. 269 of 2023) These exempted development regulations amend the Principal Regulations to provide an exemption for the installation of bus poles or bus pole signs along roads in connection with a public passenger transport service (as defined in the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008).

Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. 3) Regulations 2023 (S.I. No. 246 of 2023) These exempted development regulations amend the Principal Regulations to provide an exemption from the requirement to obtain planning permission for certain minor works undertaken by Gas Networks Ireland (GNI), the statutory undertaker authorised to provide a gas service.

Full details of exempted development may be found in Section 4 of the Planning & Development Act 2000, Articles 6 – 10 and Schedule 2, Part 1 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, S.I. 600 of 2001. These are available on www.irishstatutebook.ie

Planning Leaflets & Information