Planning System – Open for Business

Fingal County Council is seeking to ensure that every effort is being made to make certain that the planning system continues to operate effectively as possible, in the context of the most up-to-date public health advice during this COVID-19 Emergency.

The announcements by An Taoiseach on 27 March, introducing cocooning of a sizeable sector of our population and considerable restrictions on the population at large, as part of escalating measures to respond to the COVID-19 emergency, has required consideration of the impacts of these measures on the full range of planning services.

The Minister has commenced Section 9 of the recently enacted Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid 19) Act 2020. This section inserts a new provision (Section 251A) into the Planning and Development Act, 2000 as amended. Subsequently the Government made an order under Section 251A(4), to the effect that the period from 29th March 2020 to the  23rd May 2020, inclusive, may be disregarded when calculating any appropriate period, specified period, or other timelines in the following Acts, or provisions, or in any regulations made under those acts or provisions:-

• The Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended;
• The Derelicts Sites Act, 1990;
• Part 2 of the Urban Regenerations and Housing Act, 2015 (which relates to the vacant site levy);
• Chapter 1 of Part 2 of the Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act, 2016 (which relates the Strategic Housing Developments)

It is important to stress that the effect of the activation of this provision does not freeze the planning system, rather it extends the timelines within which decisions can be made. Otherwise the work of the Fingal Planning & Strategic Infrastructure Department will continue, of course subject to adherence to public health advice.

We are temporarily changing the way we operate our public counter service and accept planning applications as the Offices of Fingal County Council are currently closed to the public. We will continue to accept and validate applications by post to:

• Fingal County Council, County Hall, Main Street, Swords, Co. Dublin, Eircode K67 X8Y2

In addition, it is possible to deliver planning applications to a dedicated “drop-box” which will be outside the rear of County Hall, off Chapel Lane, in Swords. The drop-box will be available each Thursday and Friday between the hours of 9.00am and 1.00pm

If you have any planning queries you can email the Planning Department at [email protected] or telephone 01 890 5541.

A preliminary set of FAQs have been published by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government and is attached to this notice and this will be expanded over the coming days, and kept up-to-date on the Council’s website.

Click here to view the FAQs.