Types of Property Planning Permission

Planning permission is required for a large variety of changes of use of land, ranging from the obvious, e.g. building a house on a new site, through less common change of uses, such as the replacement of broad leaf high forest by conifer species or the use of uncultivated land for intensive agricultural purposes or peat extraction.

Local planning authorities are particularly concerned with the avoidance of “bungalow blight”, so the applicant should ensure that their proposed development fits in with the surrounding area in which it is to be located.

Some of the developments requiring a grant of planning permission from the local planning authority include:

The building of a dwelling house.

The carrying out of maintenance, improvement or alteration of an existing dwelling house in order to create an extension of the living area.

The change of use of a garage shed, outhouse or any other structure to become part of the house.

The provision of buildings for the purpose of agriculture.

The change of use of previously uncultivated land to intensive agricultural production.

The replacement of broad leaf high forest by coniferous trees or shrubs.

The construction on, in or under ground of fuel tanks, or any other storage vessels.

The use of land in order to provide camping or caravan facilities. planning permission is also needed for the parking of motor vehicles and the sale of goods.

The use of land as a burial ground.

The use of land as a waste ground.

Planning permission is also required for the extraction of peat from land or to work the land with the object of extracting minerals or metals.

Other changes of use requiring planning permission include the erection of advertising structures or overhead powerlines or communication lines as well as the construction of golf courses or pitch and putt courses.

The website of the various local planning authorities should contain a list of the fees applicable for the many varied types of planning permission.

This article is intended as a general, basic guide to planning process of local authorities in Ireland. For more specific details and the latest regulations concerning planning, please consult the website of your local authority.