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In this article I’ll tell you about the planning process itself - the timescales involved and the various scenarios that can arise along the way. If you’d like to learn more about what should actually be submitted as part of a planning application, please take a look at the article entitled, ‘Making a Planning Application’.

The typical timescale for a Planning Application is 12 weeks, which breaks down like this:

Week 0:

Submit Planning Application

Week 1-2:

Application is verified by planning office. If the application does not include all the necessary information as laid down in the Planning Acts, then it and the planning fee will be returned and a new submission will be required.

Week 1 – 5:

Planning Application is available to view at Planning Office and, depending on local authority, on-line. This is the period of time that allows neighbours and other interested parties to inspect the application and make objections / observations to the planning authority – these are known as Third Party objections or observations. The fee for making an observation is €20.00.

It is also a requirement that the Planning Application Site Notice remain in place at the front of the property and visible from the public footpath throughout the initial 5 weeks – the planning office will check at some point during this period. If the sign is not in place, has been defaced or is illegible, the planning application will be returned and a new submission required.

It is possible to appeal this – if the sign has been in place and been subjected to vandalism – but this will require proof, eg. letter from neighbour or photographic evidence. It’s a good idea to take a photo of the site notice in place with the time and date printed, when the sign is first erected, and regularly after that until the 5 week period expires – the notice should be removed at the end of this time.

If a number of objections or observations have been made during the 5 week period, the applicant can respond to these points by also submitting an observation and paying the required fee, as long as it is submitted within the 5 week period.

Week 5 – 8:

The planner will review the application along with any observations or objections submitted. He / she may also invite comments from other interested local authority departments – usually the Roads & Drainage departments will have some input. The planner prepares a report and makes their recommendation for review and issue by the Planning Department.

At the end of the 8 week period, the applicant will receive a Notification of one of the following responses:

• Application Approved;
• Application Rejected;
• Request for Additional Information.

What happens next will depend on which of these circumstances arise, as follows.

Application Approved:

Week 8 – 12:

Any third party who made observations or objections to the application can, if they choose, make a further Appeal to An Bord Pleanala, at a cost of €200.00. The Board will then consider the existing application and invite further information from the applicant, the objectors and any relevant parties (including the planning department) in order to make their decision – this takes a minimum of 16 weeks.

If there have been no objections to the application, the formal Grant of Approval will be issued at the end of the 12 weeks.

Application Rejected:

Weeks 8 – 12:

The applicant can, if he chooses, lodge an Appeal to An Bord Pleanala, as above – this is known as a First Party Appeal.

Alternatively, the applicant can choose to take on board the comments made in the planner’s report and modify the proposals to make a new application.

Request for Additional Information:

If the Planning Department requests additional information, the applicant has a period of 6 months in which to reply. When this information has been submitted, the Planning Department will respond within a period of 4 weeks.

Again, the possible reponses are Approval or Rejection (with timescales and options, as above) or they can request Clarification of the Further Information submitted. Clarification will relate exclusively to the issues highlighted in the Request for Additional Information, and not raise new queries to be addressed. Once submitted, the Planning Department will make a final decision within 4 weeks.

If the applicant fails to submit the Additional Information or Clarification of Additional Information within 6 months of the request, the application will lapse and a new Planning Application will be required.

Permission Granted – What Next?

Once Planning Permission has been obtained, any conditions stipulated in the Grant of Permission by either the Planning Department or An Bord Pleanala will have to be addressed prior to commencing with building work and may require a further submission, known as a Compliance Submission.

A Notification of Commencement of Building Works should also be submitted prior to proceeding with building work.

Did you find this article useful? Please leave a comment to let us know your thoughts on the subject and also any other home improvement issues you’d like to know more about.

You may also be interested in:

The Pros & Cons of Planning Permission