Planning permission in Carlow
Carlow County Council decides planning applications in Carlow. Search every Carlow planning application, see recent decisions and notices, and check what to expect before you apply. This page brings Carlow County Council planning data together in one place: applications, decisions, approval rates and local rules.
Withdrawn and invalid applications are left out.
Decided in the last 5 years. Bars show applications received each year.
Half of decisions come sooner when no extra information is asked for. The legal limit is 8 weeks.
Of decided applications, the council asked for more before deciding.
Of decided applications, appealed to An Coimisiún Pleanála.
Recent Carlow planning decisions
The latest granted and refused applications decided by Carlow County Council. Wording is trimmed and never includes applicant names.
Carlow planning applications per year
Planning applications received each year, with the share that were granted. The coloured part of each bar is the share granted. The outlined bar is the year so far.
| Year | Received | Granted |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 510 | 93% |
| 2022 | 443 | 90% |
| 2023 | 510 | 91% |
| 2024 | 484 | 93% |
| 2025 | 464 | 92% |
| 2026 (so far) | 336 | 94% |
Carlow planning approval rates by project type
How often each kind of project was granted in Carlow over the last 5 years, compared with the whole of Ireland.
Projects are grouped automatically from each application's description, so a few fit more than one type. The marker on each bar is the rate for Ireland. Types with fewer than 30 decisions are left out.
How Carlow compares with other councils
Carlow ranked against all 31 planning authorities, using the last 5 years of decisions. Each strip is one council, and the highlighted one is Carlow.
Best on the left, rank 1 first. Councils with fewer than 100 decisions are left out. Some councils publish data in different ways, so small gaps are not meaningful.
How long does planning permission in Carlow take?
A planning application in Carlow, week by week, using real Carlow decisions.
Lodging your Carlow planning application
The application goes in with your plans, fee and notices. The site notice goes up and the clock starts.
Neighbours can comment on your application
Anyone can make a submission in the first five weeks. Most applications draw none, but a strong objection can slow things down.
Further information requests
52 in 100 decided Carlow applications got a request for further information. If yours does, the clock pauses until you reply.
The Carlow planning decision
Half of Carlow decisions without a request for more information come by week 7. With a request for more information, the middle case takes about 24 weeks. 92 in 100 decided applications are granted.
Appealing a Carlow planning decision
You or anyone who commented has four weeks to appeal to An Coimisiún Pleanála. 4.4 in 100 decided Carlow applications went to appeal.
Starting work after permission is granted
Permission lasts five years. For permissions granted in Carlow over the last 5 years, 42 in 100 have a commencement notice on record.
Check your Carlow site before you apply
The pre-planning report covers zoning, protected structures, ground conditions and every application near your address, with the decisions.
Carlow County Council planning department contacts
Who to call or write to about a planning application in Carlow, and when they are available.
Free pre-planning meeting
Carlow County Council offers pre-planning consultations under Section 247 of the Planning and Development Act. Meet a planner before you apply, to hear what is likely to be accepted.
Details checked on 29 Oct 2026 from the council's own website. Spotted a change? Tell us.
Local planning restrictions in Carlow
Nature areas, historic buildings and monuments that can limit or shape a project in Carlow. The figures come from national public datasets.
- Nature areas: check
- Historic buildings: surveyed
- Monuments: recorded
- Flood risk: check floodinfo.ie
Sites inside Carlow, including proposed ones. Largest: Blackstairs Mountains, River Barrow and River Nore.
Buildings in the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. A survey is not the same as legal protection.
Sites recorded by the National Monuments Service, from ringforts to old quarries.
What this can mean for your project
Projects that could affect a Special Area of Conservation or Special Protection Area may need an appropriate assessment. This can apply even if you are outside the site.
If your home is on the Record of Protected Structures, or in an architectural conservation area, many works that are normally exempt need permission. You can ask the council for a declaration under section 57.
Applications close to a recorded monument can be referred to the National Monuments Service, which can add time and conditions.
The council may ask for a flood risk assessment in flood-prone areas. Check the official flood maps on floodinfo.ie.
Carlow County Council policies to know
Carlow splits the countryside into Zone 1 (rural areas under urban influence) and Zone 2 (other rural areas). In Zone 1 you must show either a work reason to live there (such as full-time farming or a rural business) or a social reason (such as living full-time in the local rural area for at least 5 years, within 8 km of the site). In Zone 2 you must show it is for your own full-time home and that you do not already own another rural house in the county. Proof must go in with your application.
Source: Chapter 3, section 3.16.2, Tables 3.5 and 3.6, Policy RH P1If you get permission for a rural house, you must live in it as your permanent home for 7 years. The council will not allow speculative rural housing, and can refuse houses on land where sites have been sold on before, even if the applicant meets the criteria.
Source: Chapter 3, section 3.16.3, Policies RH P2 and RH P3An extension should suit the form, scale and look of the existing house. It should not create new overlooking of a neighbour's private area, should not cut daylight or sunlight to neighbours significantly, and a minimum private rear garden must be kept. In the countryside, the Rural Design Guide in Chapter 13 also applies.
Source: Chapter 16, section 16.8.13 Extensions to DwellingsWhere flooding may be a risk, the council requires a site-specific flood risk assessment from a suitably qualified professional. It must look at all sources of flooding and climate change.
Source: Chapter 16, section 16.2.5From the Carlow County Development Plan 2022-2028. See all the Carlow development plan rules, by topic.
Is your site affected?
These figures cover the whole of Carlow. Whether a restriction applies depends on exactly where your site is. The pre-planning report checks your address.
Sources: National Parks and Wildlife Service, National Inventory of Architectural Heritage and National Monuments Service, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Policy summaries checked 29 Oct 2026. Policy summaries are plain-English guides written from council plans. They may be incomplete or out of date, and where we are not sure we say so. They are not legal advice, so please double-check anything important with the council.
Map of recent Carlow planning decisions
Click a dot to see the decision and open the full application.
Map of recent Carlow decisions
Planning applications decided in the last 12 months. Orange is granted, grey is refused.
Towns and areas in Carlow
Places with the most applications in the last 5 years.
Planning a project in Carlow?
Check whether you need permission before you spend anything.
Common questions about Carlow planning
How do I apply for planning permission in Carlow?
You apply to Carlow County Council. You need the completed form, a site notice, a newspaper notice, your plans and the fee. The council must decide within eight weeks, unless it asks for more information.
Do I need planning permission in Carlow?
Not always. Many small projects are exempt under SI 600/2001, for example some single-storey rear extensions up to 40 square metres, subject to conditions. Our free checker screens your project in a minute.
How long does a Carlow planning decision take?
Half of decisions without a request for more information come by week 7. If the council asks for more information, the clock stops until you reply, so it takes longer.
Can I book a pre-planning meeting with Carlow County Council?
Yes. Carlow County Council offers free pre-planning consultations under Section 247 of the Planning and Development Act. Contact the planning department to book one before you lodge.
Applications received up to 22 Oct 2026. Sources: National Planning Application Database (DHLGH and local authorities), An Coimisiún Pleanála, National Building Control Office. Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Sources and methodology.