Planning permission in Kildare
Kildare County Council decides planning applications in Kildare. Search every Kildare planning application, see recent decisions and notices, and check what to expect before you apply. This page brings Kildare 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Withdrawn and invalid applications are left out.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 Kildare planning decisions
The latest granted and refused applications decided by Kildare County Council. Wording is trimmed and never includes applicant names.
Kildare 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 | 1,778 | 80% |
| 2022 | 1,505 | 78% |
| 2023 | 1,566 | 84% |
| 2024 | 1,758 | 83% |
| 2025 | 1,673 | 80% |
| 2026 (so far) | 1,264 | 82% |
Kildare planning approval rates by project type
How often each kind of project was granted in Kildare 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 Kildare compares with other councils
Kildare ranked against all 31 planning authorities, using the last 5 years of decisions. Each strip is one council, and the highlighted one is Kildare.
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 Kildare take?
A planning application in Kildare, week by week, using real Kildare decisions.
Lodging your Kildare 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
40 in 100 decided Kildare applications got a request for further information. If yours does, the clock pauses until you reply.
The Kildare planning decision
Half of Kildare decisions without a request for more information come by week 7. With a request for more information, the middle case takes about 21 weeks. 81 in 100 decided applications are granted.
Appealing a Kildare planning decision
You or anyone who commented has four weeks to appeal to An Coimisiún Pleanála. 7.0 in 100 decided Kildare applications went to appeal.
Starting work after permission is granted
Permission lasts five years. For permissions granted in Kildare over the last 5 years, 39 in 100 have a commencement notice on record.
Check your Kildare site before you apply
The pre-planning report covers zoning, protected structures, ground conditions and every application near your address, with the decisions.
Kildare County Council planning department contacts
Who to call or write to about a planning application in Kildare, and when they are available.
Free pre-planning meeting
Kildare 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 Kildare
Nature areas, historic buildings and monuments that can limit or shape a project in Kildare. The figures come from national public datasets.
- Nature areas: check
- Historic buildings: surveyed
- Monuments: recorded
- Flood risk: check floodinfo.ie
Sites inside Kildare, including proposed ones. Largest: Mouds Bog, 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.
Kildare County Council policies to know
Kildare's rural housing policy has two zones. Zone 1 covers areas under strong urban influence, mapped from commuting to Dublin and towns such as Naas, Newbridge, Maynooth, Celbridge and Leixlip. There the council facilitates one-off houses for people with a demonstrable economic or social need to live in the area. Zone 2 covers stronger rural areas, where single houses are facilitated based on siting, environmental and design criteria. Urban-generated rural housing is not considered.
Source: Volume 1, Chapter 3, sections 3.13.1 to 3.13.3, Map 3.1, Policy HO P11Economic need means actively farming the landholding, as a farmer with more than 15 hectares held by the immediate family for at least seven years (or a child, niece or nephew taking over the farm), or as an owner-operator of a smaller farming, horticulture, forestry or similar business that is a significant part of your livelihood. Social need means you have lived in the rural area for a substantial part of your life, defined as 16 years within 5 km of the site. You must send documents to prove it.
Source: Volume 1, Chapter 3, section 3.13.3Applicants must show they do not own, and have not been granted permission for, another one-off rural house in Kildare. Occupancy of a rural house as a permanent home is restricted to the qualifying applicant for ten years. The council restricts housing on land with a history of speculative site sales to unrelated third parties.
Source: Volume 1, Chapter 3, objectives HO O43 to HO O45From the Kildare County Development Plan 2023-2029. See all the Kildare development plan rules, by topic.
Is your site affected?
These figures cover the whole of Kildare. 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 Kildare planning decisions
Click a dot to see the decision and open the full application.
Map of recent Kildare decisions
Planning applications decided in the last 12 months. Orange is granted, grey is refused.
Towns and areas in Kildare
Places with the most applications in the last 5 years.
Planning a project in Kildare?
Check whether you need permission before you spend anything.
Common questions about Kildare planning
How do I apply for planning permission in Kildare?
You apply to Kildare 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 Kildare?
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 Kildare 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 Kildare County Council?
Yes. Kildare 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.