Planning Permission Help in Ireland
Planning permission assistance covers the professional work of preparing, submitting, and managing a planning application to an Irish local authority. It is advice with paperwork: a planner, architect, or engineer reviews your site or dwelling, identifies the relevant development plan and local objectives, drafts or checks drawings and notices, completes the application form, and lodges it with the planning authority for the county where the works sit. The customer gathers the facts: the exact location, what is being built or changed, whether the property is in a town, village, or countryside, and any previous planning history. You then post your task on ShamFix, describing what you need, and browse provider profiles by county to contact the people you choose directly. Your task stays open for 30 days. Providers registered in this category can see it. Posting a task on ShamFix costs nothing today.
What shapes the price of planning permission assistance
- Planning assistance is usually priced as a fixed fee for a defined document or application, an hourly rate for advice and revisions, or a per-document charge for maps, site notices, and forms.
- What drives the figure: whether the project is a household extension, a change of use, a one-off rural house, or a retention application; whether a Natura impact statement, an appropriate assessment, or a traffic assessment is needed; whether the site is in a Gaeltacht area, an architectural conservation area, or near a protected structure; and how many rounds of revision the drawings need.
- Ask what is not included: council application fees, newspaper notices, site notices, specialist reports, and attendance at a pre-planning meeting are often separate.
- Get the scope in writing before work begins.
How long planning permission assistance takes
A household application can be prepared in a few weeks and decided by the council in about eight weeks, but the full process from first instruction to decision often runs to three or four months. What stretches it: incomplete drawings, a site that needs a newspaper notice or a site notice, a request for further information from the planning authority, a Natura impact statement or ecological report, and the eight-week period the council has to assess a valid application. If the decision is appealed, An Bord Pleanála adds several months. Ask the provider for a written schedule with dates for drawings, lodgement, and response to any further information request.
What to ask before you hire
- 01Ask which professional body they are a member of, and ask for a letter of engagement that sets out the scope, the fee, and what happens if the council seeks further information.
- 02Ask how many planning applications they have handled in this county and for this type of development.
- 03Ask who prepares the drawings, who writes the planning report, and who lodges the application.
- 04Ask what happens if the application is refused and whether an appeal to An Bord Pleanála is included.
- 05Ask for the name of the person who will sign the statutory documents.
- 06Do not assume a membership number alone tells you the whole story; read the letter of engagement and check the scope against your own project.
Planning permission assistance guides
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Planning applications with Irish local authorities
Planning applications in Ireland go to your local county or city council, and each must include drawings, a site location map, a newspaper notice and a site notice erected on the land. After lodging, there is a public submission period, and decisions can be appealed to An Coimisiún Pleanála (formerly An Bord Pleanála). Rural one-off houses in counties like Galway, Mayo and Kerry often face local needs and design rules set out in each county development plan. Some smaller works, such as certain rear extensions, may be exempted development, but a professional can confirm whether your project needs permission.
Planning jobs you can post
- Planning applications for one-off houses
- House extension planning drawings
- Retention planning permission
- Exempted development assessments
- Change of use applications
- Pre-planning meetings with the council
- Responding to further information requests
- Planning appeals support
- Site layout and percolation test coordination
Planning permission questions
Do I need planning permission for an extension?
Some small rear extensions can be exempted development if they meet strict size and position conditions. A planning professional can check your plans against the rules before you build.
How long does a planning decision take in Ireland?
Councils usually decide within eight weeks of a valid application, but a request for further information or an appeal adds time.
What is retention permission?
It is permission sought for work already carried out without planning. It can be refused, so get professional advice early.
Who can prepare my planning application?
Architects, architectural technologists, engineers and planning consultants commonly prepare applications. Compare their experience with similar projects.
What do I need for a one-off rural house?
Expect drawings, a site suitability assessment for the wastewater system and evidence for any local needs policy in your county development plan.
Planning permission assistance questions people ask
Do I need planning permission for a small extension to my house?
Not always, because some extensions fall under exempted development rules. The limits depend on the size of the extension, the size of the house, and whether the property is in a protected structure or an architectural conservation area. A planner or architect can measure your plans against the current regulations and tell you in writing whether an application is needed.
How much does planning permission assistance cost in Ireland?
Fees vary with the complexity of the site and the documents required. A straightforward household application may be quoted as a fixed fee, while a one-off rural house or a retention case is often priced hourly or per document. Ask for a written scope that separates professional fees from council fees, notices, and specialist reports.
What documents do I need to prepare for a planning application?
You usually need scaled drawings, a site location map, a site layout plan, and a newspaper notice and site notice. Some sites also need a planning report, a Natura impact statement, or a traffic assessment. The provider prepares or checks these documents, but you supply the facts about the site and any previous planning history.
How long does it take to get a decision on a planning application?
A valid application is normally decided within eight weeks, but the whole process from instruction to decision often takes three to four months. Requests for further information, ecological reports, and public observations can extend that. If the decision is appealed, An Bord Pleanála adds several more months to the timeline.
Can I apply for planning permission myself without a professional?
You can lodge an application yourself, but the forms, notices, and drawings must meet the planning authority's requirements. A mistake can lead to a invalid application or a refusal. Many people use a planner, architect, or engineer to prepare the paperwork and to respond to any request for further information.
What happens if my planning application is refused?
You can appeal the decision to An Bord Pleanála within four weeks of the council's decision. An appeal needs grounds and often a revised set of drawings or a planning report. Ask your provider whether an appeal is included in their fee or quoted separately, and what the likely timeframe is.
Need planning permission assistance in Ireland?
Post a planning permission assistance task. Your task stays open for 30 days. Providers registered in this category can see it.
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