Whats Involved in Making a Planning Application

Social and Affordable Housing Certificate

It is important to note that before applying for planning permission, applicants should ensure that they have applied for or obtained their Certificate of Exemption in cases where development does not apply to the requirements for the provision of social and affordable housing on residentially zoned land or a mixture of residentially zoned land and other uses.

Site Location Map (6 copies)
The Site Location Map must be marked or coloured so as to identify clearly the land or structure to which the application relates and the boundaries thereon. The Site Location Map should be on an Ordinance Survey map with the number of the Ordinance Survey map clearly indicated thereon. The scale of the map should be not less than 1:1000 in urban areas and 1:2500 in rural areas.

Site/Layout Map (6 copies)
Except for Outline Permission
Plans and drawings should contain detailed structural drawings of floor plans, elevation and sections and such other particulars as are necessary to describe the works or structure to which the application relates. These must be drawn to a scale not less than 1:200

Public / Site Notice
A copy of the site notice must be submitted with each planning application.
The site notice must be placed on site for five weeks from the date of receipt of the planning application. If it becomes illegible or is removed, it must be replaced immediately as failure to do so will invalidate the application. The site notice must be located at the entrance to the private road where it meets the public road, and at the entrance to the site. For sample of Site Notice see Planning Forms

Newspaper Notice
A copy or original of the newspaper notice must be submitted with the application. The application must be lodged with the Planning Department within two weeks of the publication date of the newspaper.
For Approved Newspapers see Planning Forms

All notices must contain,

As a heading, the name of the Planning Authority and shall include the name of the applicant; The nature of application i.e. permission, outline or permission following the grant of outline permission;
The location, townland or postal address of the land or structure
A Brief Description of the Development.

The notice must state that the 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.

Once an application is Received by the Planning Department, what happens next?

The planning decision process usually takes 8 weeks. The application will go through the following stages:

When the planning application is received, the application will be examined to ensure everything is correct and in order, valid or invalid (if found to be invalid, the application will be returned).
The site notice must be kept up and legible for 5 weeks from the date notice has been erected. The planner will visit the site possibly on a number of occasions during this time to check the site notice (if the site notice is found to be invalid due to site notice, the application will be returned).
Submissions or observations will be accepted up to 5 weeks from the date of receipt of the application.
After this, the planner will begin to assess the application and write his/her report where a recommendation is made.
Application and report then go to the appropriate levels for approval and signing where the decision is made.
The decision letter will be sent by registered post, normally within 8 weeks from the date the application is received.
If permission is granted and if no appeal is made after 4 weeks the Planning Authority will issue a grant of permission.
If Additional Information is requested and indeed, possible Clarification of Additional Information, the applicant has up to 6 months (from the original date the Additional Information was requested) to submit the response to both.
Any decision made can be appealed by the Applicant or objectors, to An Bord Pleanála within 4 weeks from the decision date.
A person who has an interest in land ADJOINING land in respect of which a decision to grant permission has been made, may apply to An Bord Pleanála for Leave to Appeal against that decision.