The Irish planning system has been in need of significant reform for some time. Since the announcement and recent enactment of the new Planning and Development Act 2024, the demand and urgency for new housing have only grown. Now, with substantial modifications finally taking effect, including the establishment of An Coimisiún Pleanála and new statutory timelines, the planning landscape is changing rapidly. In this article, we highlight some of the most important recent changes and announcements so you can stay informed about what’s currently shaping the Irish planning system.
An Coimisiún Pleanála and Statutory Timelines
The national planning appeals body, previously known as An Bord Pleanála, has now been re-established as An Coimisiún Pleanála, following the commencement of Part 17 of the Planning and Development Act 2024. Beyond a name change, this marks a complete restructure of how the organisation is run. An Coimisiún Pleanála is now made up of three key parts:
Daylight and Sunlight Assessments are essential for planning, evaluating how a proposed development would impact natural light for both neighbouring properties and its own habitable spaces.
– Planning Commissioners, who take charge of all decisions on appeals and planning applications, and are overseen by a new Chief Planning Commissioner. – The Governing Board, chaired by former HSE CEO Paul Reid, which is responsible for the overall governance and organisation. – The Executive, led by a Chief Executive Officer, which provides support across all functions of the organisation.
With these changes comes a much clearer distinction between different types of planning permission, and statutory timelines for decision-making. For the first time, An Coimisiún Pleanála itself must work within set timeframes: decisions on smaller appeals should be made within 18 weeks, while more complex, large-scale development cases have a maximum of 48 weeks.
In short, the new structure and timelines seek to make planning decisions more transparent and efficient.
Judicial Reviews
The way Judicial Reviews are handled in the planning system also received major changes under the new Planning and Development Act 2024. A highlight is the removal of the original “leave” stage. Previously, anyone who wanted to challenge a planning decision in court first had to have an application for leave, in order to bring their case. In reality, most cases got through this stage anyway, so dropping it will save time and cut down on legal costs for everyone involved.
There are also tighter rules around who can actually bring a judicial review. Generally, anyone wishing to challenge a planning decision in court must show they have a direct interest in the decision. In most cases, this also means you must have taken part in the original planning application (like making an appeal) before turning to the courts.
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Additionally, the grounds for judicial review must be clearly set out from the start, and the court will only consider new grounds in very limited circumstances. There are some exceptions: recognised environmental NGOs can still bring cases relating to environmental impacts even if they haven’t engaged in the earlier steps, provided they meet certain governance standards. Residents’ associations and other unincorporated groups can also seek a review, as long as they can demonstrate they genuinely represent their members’ interests.
Finally, to make sure judicial reviews aren’t prohibitively expensive, the Act introduces a scale of fees and a financial assistance mechanism. These promise to improve access to justice and regularise judicial review costs for the State.
Note: You can read the full publication on the key reforms introduced by the Planning and Development Act 2024 here.
Social Housing
The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage has announced the introduction of a single-stage approval process for all social housing projects valued under €200 million. Alongside this, new-build social housing will now be required to follow standardised design layouts and specifications, as outlined in the Department of Housing’s Design Manual for Quality Housing and the Employer’s Requirements for Detailed Design.
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According to the Department, these changes will streamline approvals by removing the need for repeated detailed submissions, enable quicker decision-making, and provide better cost control for both local authorities and approved housing bodies. Contractors and consultants will also benefit from a more consistent approach, as they’ll be able to work across different local authorities with greater clarity around project requirements, making tendering and project planning more efficient. The new system is also expected to encourage the use of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), supporting the Government’s drive for innovation in social housing delivery.
These arrangements are designed to accelerate the delivery of new social homes and are expected to come into effect from Q3 2025.
Planning Design Standards for Apartments
The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, together with the Minister of State for Planning, has recently announced updated standards for apartment developments. These revised guidelines address a range of areas, including apartment mix, internal space standards for various apartment types, dual aspect ratios, floor-to-ceiling heights, stair and lift core ratios, storage, and both private and shared amenity spaces like balconies and patios.
Among the changes, the new standards will allow smaller apartment sizes and reduce requirements for private open spaces. Communal and community facilities will also no longer be mandatory in every development.
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In addition, proposed amendments to the Planning and Development Act 2024 will make it easier for approved schemes that haven’t yet started construction to be altered, removing the need to submit a completely new planning application.
Conclusion
While it’s encouraging to see real progress being made to improve Ireland’s planning system and address the housing crisis, some uncertainty is likely to remain as new standards and processes are established. One thing that hasn’t changed is the crucial role of accurate, technical documentation in any planning application.
At 3D Design Bureau, we believe that solutions, like verified view montages and daylight and sunlight assessments, are just as important now as ever, and they will continue to be essential even if the latest planning reforms deliver as intended. High-quality planning solutions will always be fundamental to strong, effective applications. They instil confidence in local authorities, support quicker decision-making, and lay a solid foundation for every project.
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