Obtaining Planning Permission For Your New Home

Types of Planning Permission

Outline Planning Permission. If your proposed development is granted O.P.P., this means that the local planning authority agree to your proposals in principle. If you need full planning permission, you will have to apply for "permission following the grant of outline permission".

Permission Consequent to Outline Permission. This type of permission follows the grant of OPP and provides for the applicant to submit full drawings and details of any proposed development.

Full Planning Permission.

To be considered for the granting of full planning permission, a developer must submit a valid application, which should include detailed drawings and plans of the proposed development.

Exempted developments do not require any type of planning permission.

If you fail to complete the planning permission application fully, including plans and drawings, or you do not attached the required documentation or pay the correct fee, the local planning authority will return your application and fee and deem it to have been an incorrect application.

The eight week period in which the local planning authority is required to reach a decision on your application will only begin when you submit a valid application.

In order to make a valid application for planning permission, you must fulfill the following requirements:

1. Submit the required fee, which varies depending on which type of planning permission you are applying for.

2. Submit a correct complete application form

3. You must erect a site notice at the location of the proposed development. This note must be clearly visible from the entrance to the site, from 5 weeks from date of receipt of the planning application to the local planning authority. Failure to maintain a proper site notice may render your application invalid.

4. You must place notices of intention to develop in the local newspapers.

5. You must enclose with your application form, 6 copies of a site location map and 6 copies of plans and drawings of the proposed development (except in cases where you are requesting outline planning permission.)

6. If you intend using a septic tank or onsite waste water treatment system, you must include the results of a trial hole percolation test. This test can only be carried out by an assessor approved by the local planning authority. You are strongly advised to have this test completed before submitting the planning application. Sending in a planning permission application without this test will most likely result in the applicant spending more time and money in obtaining planning permission.

The site location map must clearly indicate the land and structure involved in the planning permission request and its boundaries. The site location map must be on an Ordinance Survey map, which must include the OS map number and have its north point clearly indicated. The site location map should have a scale of not less than 1:1000 in urban areas and not less than 1:1250 in rural areas.

The scale of the site layout map should not be less than 1:500 and should show clearly any relevant details involved in the proposed development.

These details should include, but are not limited to: buildings, bored wells, boundaries and so on. It should also include any features within 10 meters of the development.

Plans and drawings should be at a scale of not less than 1:200 and should include particulars of floor plans, elevation and sections.

The planning permission application should be submitted to the local planning authority within two weeks of the publication date of the advertisement in local newspapers.

All site and newspaper notices should contain:

1. The name of the local planning authority and the name of the applicant, the name of the local planning authority should be in the heading of the notice.

2. The type of planning permission applied for, that is either outline, full or permission following grant of outline permission.

3. The full location of the land or structure involved in the planning permission application.

4. The nature and extent of the proposed development.

The notice must also contain wording that the application may be inspected and a copy purchased at the offices of the local planning authority and that submissions or objections can be made to the local planning authority within 5 weeks beginning at the date of receipt by the local planning authority of the planning permission application.

Although you can submit the planning application directly to your local planning authority, if you have no previous experience of the planning process, you should strongly consider employing the professional services of a planning agent or architectural firm, especially if the proposed development is anything other than a very straightforward change of usage.

The local planning authority will expect detailed descriptions, plans, drawings, scale maps and test hole percolation tests etc. There are many reasons that may cause your local authority to deem your planning application invalid and the more prepared you are to answer their questions, the better.

A good planning agent will know exactly how to complete the application form so as to maximise the chances of obtaining planning permission as quickly as possible. A planning agent can take responsibility for all aspects of the planning application process. Before choosing an agent, you should ensure that the agent is up to date with all current planning regulations. Ask for references from previous applicants.

When agreeing a fee with the agent, you should ensure that the fee is paid only when the local planning authority acknowledges in writing that they consider your planning application a valid one.

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.