Planning permission in Clare
Clare County Council decides planning applications in Clare. Search every Clare planning application, see recent decisions and notices, and check what to expect before you apply. This page brings Clare 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Withdrawn and invalid applications are left out.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 Clare planning decisions
The latest granted and refused applications decided by Clare County Council. Wording is trimmed and never includes applicant names.
Clare 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 | 1,302 | 94% |
| 2022 | 1,058 | 93% |
| 2023 | 1,167 | 93% |
| 2024 | 1,078 | 93% |
| 2025 | 1,154 | 94% |
| 2026 (so far) | 939 | 95% |
Clare planning approval rates by project type
How often each kind of project was granted in Clare 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 Clare compares with other councils
Clare ranked against all 31 planning authorities, using the last 5 years of decisions. Each strip is one council, and the highlighted one is Clare.
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 Clare take?
A planning application in Clare, week by week, using real Clare decisions.
Lodging your Clare 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
28 in 100 decided Clare applications got a request for further information. If yours does, the clock pauses until you reply.
The Clare planning decision
Half of Clare decisions without a request for more information come by week 8. With a request for more information, the middle case takes about 22 weeks. 93 in 100 decided applications are granted.
Appealing a Clare planning decision
You or anyone who commented has four weeks to appeal to An Coimisiún Pleanála. 4.4 in 100 decided Clare applications went to appeal.
Starting work after permission is granted
Permission lasts five years. For permissions granted in Clare over the last 5 years, 24 in 100 have a commencement notice on record.
Check your Clare site before you apply
The pre-planning report covers zoning, protected structures, ground conditions and every application near your address, with the decisions.
Clare County Council planning department contacts
Who to call or write to about a planning application in Clare, and when they are available.
Free pre-planning meeting
Clare 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 Clare
Nature areas, historic buildings and monuments that can limit or shape a project in Clare. The figures come from national public datasets.
- Nature areas: check
- Historic buildings: surveyed
- Monuments: recorded
- Flood risk: check floodinfo.ie
Sites inside Clare, including proposed ones. Largest: Slieve Aughty Mountains, Lower River Shannon.
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.
Clare County Council policies to know
In Clare's 'Areas of Special Control' (areas under strong urban influence, heritage landscapes and sites on or beside a scenic route), a new rural house is only open for consideration if you show an economic or social need to live there. Economic need means a functional need to live at or close to a rural business such as farming. Social need means you were born in the local rural area, or have lived there permanently for at least 10 years, and you do not already own a house in the area. In strong urban influence areas and heritage landscapes the 'local rural area' means within 10 km of the site.
Source: Volume 1, Chapter 4, Objective CDP 4.14 and Table 4.1 (interim adopted text)In the rest of the countryside, the council can permit a single house for someone who wants it as their principal private home, subject to good siting and design and environmental rules. The application must be in the name of the person who will live in it. Houses on National and some Regional roads face extra road safety rules.
Source: Volume 1, Chapter 4, Objective CDP 4.15A new single house inside the Areas of Special Control carries a condition that it must be your permanent home for 7 years. Outside those areas the house must be a permanent principal home but there is no limit on resale after first occupancy. New single holiday homes in the countryside are restricted.
Source: Volume 1, Chapter 4, Table 4.1 notes and Objective CDP 4.19From the Clare County Development Plan 2023-2029, as varied. See all the Clare development plan rules, by topic.
Is your site affected?
These figures cover the whole of Clare. 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 Clare planning decisions
Click a dot to see the decision and open the full application.
Map of recent Clare decisions
Planning applications decided in the last 12 months. Orange is granted, grey is refused.
Towns and areas in Clare
Places with the most applications in the last 5 years.
Planning a project in Clare?
Check whether you need permission before you spend anything.
Common questions about Clare planning
How do I apply for planning permission in Clare?
You apply to Clare 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 Clare?
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 Clare planning decision take?
Half of decisions without a request for more information come by week 8. 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 Clare County Council?
Yes. Clare 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 21 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.