Clare development plan
The Clare County Development Plan 2023-2029, as varied sets the rules Clare County Council uses to decide planning applications. Here is what it controls, the local rules that matter to householders, and where to read the official plan.
The plan at a glance
- Plan
- Clare County Development Plan 2023-2029, as varied
- Period
- 2023 to 2029
- Status
- Adopted 9 March 2023, in effect from 20 April 2023. Variation No. 1 made 8 June 2026
- Checked
- 29 Oct 2026
What a development plan controls
Every council has one. It is written for a set number of years and changed in steps called variations. It covers four things that matter most to a homeowner.
Every piece of land has a zoning, such as residential, town centre or agriculture. The zoning says what can be built there. An extension is usually fine in a residential zone. A new house on land zoned for agriculture usually is not, unless a rural housing rule allows it.
Outside towns and villages, the plan decides who can build a one-off house. Councils often ask for local ties, such as family land or years of living in the area, and may attach an occupancy condition.
The plan uses flood zones. New homes in Flood Zone A or B can face a justification test and a flood risk assessment. The official flood maps are on floodinfo.ie.
The plan lists protected structures and architectural conservation areas. If your home is in one, works that are normally exempt may need permission. You can ask the council for a declaration under section 57.
Key local policies in Clare
Plain-English summaries of rules in the Clare County Development Plan 2023-2029, as varied that often decide a householder's project. Each one links to the council's own text.
Building a house in the countryside
Who can build a one-off rural house, and the conditions that come with it.
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 4.19Summaries checked 29 Oct 2026. They are plain-English guides written from the council's plan. They may be incomplete or out of date, and a variation can change the wording. They are not legal advice, so please check anything important with the council.
How it affects your project
The plan matters most when a project needs planning permission. Many small jobs are exempt, so check that first.
Many small extensions are exempt, so the plan only counts if you need permission, or your home is protected, or an earlier permission has conditions. When permission is needed, the council checks the design against the plan, for example overlooking, daylight and the garden left. Read the extension guide.
Small sheds are often exempt. A garden room used as a separate home, or a large one close to a boundary, can need permission, and then the plan's rules on extra accommodation apply. Read the shed guide.
A new house needs land where the zoning allows it. In the countryside, the rural housing rules decide who can build. Flood zones, access and wastewater also count. See the Clare rural housing rules. Read the new house guide.
Where to read the official plan and map
Always check the council's own copy. Plans are varied from time to time, and the zoning map is the legal record of how your land is zoned.
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.
Common questions about the Clare development plan
What is the Clare development plan?
The Clare County Development Plan 2023-2029, as varied is the main planning policy document for Clare County Council. It covers 2023 to 2029 and sets the zoning of land and the local rules the council uses when it decides planning applications.
Where can I see the zoning for my land in Clare?
Zoning maps are part of the plan. Open the plan on the Clare County Council website, or use the national viewer at myplan.ie, which shows zoning for councils that have supplied it. Plans can be varied between full reviews, so check the council's own copy for the latest.
Does the Clare development plan matter if my project is exempt?
If your extension or shed is exempt development, you do not need planning permission, so the council does not assess it against the plan. The plan still matters if your home is a protected structure or in a conservation area, or if an earlier permission has conditions. Our free checker screens your project.
Can I build a house on family land in Clare?
It depends on the rural housing rules in the plan and on exactly where the site is. Councils usually ask for proof of local ties and attach an occupancy condition. The summaries on this page show what the Clare plan says, and the council's pre-planning meeting is the best way to test your case.
Plan details compiled from Clare County Council's own website, source page, checked 29 Oct 2026. This page is a guide, not legal advice. Sources and methodology.