Planning permission in Kilkenny
Kilkenny County Council decides planning applications in Kilkenny. Search every Kilkenny planning application, see recent decisions and notices, and check what to expect before you apply. This page brings Kilkenny 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Withdrawn and invalid applications are left out.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 Kilkenny planning decisions
The latest granted and refused applications decided by Kilkenny County Council. Wording is trimmed and never includes applicant names.
Kilkenny 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 | 1,024 | 92% |
| 2022 | 795 | 86% |
| 2023 | 845 | 89% |
| 2024 | 790 | 92% |
| 2025 | 945 | 94% |
| 2026 (so far) | 715 | 96% |
Kilkenny planning approval rates by project type
How often each kind of project was granted in Kilkenny 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 Kilkenny compares with other councils
Kilkenny ranked against all 31 planning authorities, using the last 5 years of decisions. Each strip is one council, and the highlighted one is Kilkenny.
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 Kilkenny take?
A planning application in Kilkenny, week by week, using real Kilkenny decisions.
Lodging your Kilkenny 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
47 in 100 decided Kilkenny applications got a request for further information. If yours does, the clock pauses until you reply.
The Kilkenny planning decision
Half of Kilkenny decisions without a request for more information come by week 8. With a request for more information, the middle case takes about 22 weeks. 91 in 100 decided applications are granted.
Appealing a Kilkenny planning decision
You or anyone who commented has four weeks to appeal to An Coimisiún Pleanála. 3.9 in 100 decided Kilkenny applications went to appeal.
Starting work after permission is granted
Permission lasts five years. For permissions granted in Kilkenny over the last 5 years, 37 in 100 have a commencement notice on record.
Check your Kilkenny site before you apply
The pre-planning report covers zoning, protected structures, ground conditions and every application near your address, with the decisions.
Kilkenny County Council planning department contacts
Who to call or write to about a planning application in Kilkenny, and when they are available.
Free pre-planning meeting
Kilkenny 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 Kilkenny
Nature areas, historic buildings and monuments that can limit or shape a project in Kilkenny. The figures come from national public datasets.
- Nature areas: check
- Historic buildings: surveyed
- Monuments: recorded
- Flood risk: check floodinfo.ie
Sites inside Kilkenny, including proposed ones. Largest: River Barrow and River Nore, Lower River Suir.
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.
Kilkenny County Council policies to know
Kilkenny has two rural area types. In 'Areas under Urban Influence' (near towns, commuting areas and transport corridors) you must show an economic or social need to live in the local rural area. In 'Other Rural Areas', housing restrictions do not apply, subject to normal siting, design, access and wastewater rules. The rural housing policy does not apply inside the settlement boundaries of 22 towns and villages.
Source: Volume 1, Chapter 7, sections 7.8.3 and 7.8.4; council FAQ question 7Economic need means working full-time in farming, forestry or another rural activity in the area, or a job that needs you to live there, such as a rural teacher, and never having owned a rural house. Social need means being born in the local rural area, or having lived there for a substantial period (at least 5 years), never having owned a rural house, and building your first home near the original family home. Returning emigrants with 5 years in the area are also covered. The 'local area' is about 10 km from the site.
Source: Volume 1, Chapter 7, section 7.8.4In areas under urban influence, rural houses carry a condition that only the applicant or their immediate family may live in it as a permanent home for seven years from first occupancy. Where many rural houses already exist, the council may also ask for a 'sterilisation' agreement under Section 47 to limit more building.
Source: Volume 1, Chapter 7, section 7.8.4, Occupancy Condition and Sterilisation AgreementsFrom the Kilkenny City and County Development Plan 2021-2027 (as varied). See all the Kilkenny development plan rules, by topic.
Is your site affected?
These figures cover the whole of Kilkenny. 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 Kilkenny planning decisions
Click a dot to see the decision and open the full application.
Map of recent Kilkenny decisions
Planning applications decided in the last 12 months. Orange is granted, grey is refused.
Towns and areas in Kilkenny
Places with the most applications in the last 5 years.
Planning a project in Kilkenny?
Check whether you need permission before you spend anything.
Common questions about Kilkenny planning
How do I apply for planning permission in Kilkenny?
You apply to Kilkenny 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 Kilkenny?
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 Kilkenny 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 Kilkenny County Council?
Yes. Kilkenny 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 23 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.