Planning permission in Laois
Laois County Council decides planning applications in Laois. Search every Laois planning application, see recent decisions and notices, and check what to expect before you apply. This page brings Laois 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Withdrawn and invalid applications are left out.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 Laois planning decisions
The latest granted and refused applications decided by Laois County Council. Wording is trimmed and never includes applicant names.
Laois 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 | 848 | 95% |
| 2022 | 763 | 96% |
| 2023 | 782 | 96% |
| 2024 | 904 | 95% |
| 2025 | 957 | 94% |
| 2026 (so far) | 802 | 95% |
Laois planning approval rates by project type
How often each kind of project was granted in Laois 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 Laois compares with other councils
Laois ranked against all 31 planning authorities, using the last 5 years of decisions. Each strip is one council, and the highlighted one is Laois.
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 Laois take?
A planning application in Laois, week by week, using real Laois decisions.
Lodging your Laois 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
37 in 100 decided Laois applications got a request for further information. If yours does, the clock pauses until you reply.
The Laois planning decision
Half of Laois decisions without a request for more information come by week 7. With a request for more information, the middle case takes about 20 weeks. 95 in 100 decided applications are granted.
Appealing a Laois planning decision
You or anyone who commented has four weeks to appeal to An Coimisiún Pleanála. 4.3 in 100 decided Laois applications went to appeal.
Starting work after permission is granted
Permission lasts five years. For permissions granted in Laois over the last 5 years, 39 in 100 have a commencement notice on record.
Check your Laois site before you apply
The pre-planning report covers zoning, protected structures, ground conditions and every application near your address, with the decisions.
Laois County Council planning department contacts
Who to call or write to about a planning application in Laois, and when they are available.
Free pre-planning meeting
Laois 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 Laois
Nature areas, historic buildings and monuments that can limit or shape a project in Laois. The figures come from national public datasets.
- Nature areas: check
- Historic buildings: surveyed
- Monuments: recorded
- Flood risk: check floodinfo.ie
Sites inside Laois, including proposed ones. Largest: Slieve Bloom Mountains, Slieve Bloom Mountains.
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.
Laois County Council policies to know
Laois sorts the countryside into areas of strong urban influence, strong rural areas and structurally weak areas. In the first two, a one-off house is considered if you are a long-term landowner (or their son or daughter) building a first home on family land, someone working the family farm, someone whose rural work means they need to live nearby, or a local rural person who has spent a substantial part of their life in the area and is building a first home there. The 'local rural area' means generally within 10 km of the family home, and you must not own or have owned a house in the local rural area. In structurally weak areas, demand for permanent homes is generally accommodated if normal planning and environmental rules are met.
Source: Volume 1, Chapter 4, section 4.6, Table 4.4, objectives RH 2 and RH 3The council facilitates accommodation for older people and dependent relatives if it is attached to and linked internally with the existing house, has no separate access on the front elevation, is of suitable size and design, and can be served by adequate drainage.
Source: Volume 1, Chapter 4, objective RH 9There is a presumption against demolishing vernacular (traditional) rural houses where restoration is feasible. Replacement is only considered where the house cannot reasonably be made structurally sound and has no architectural merit. Local rural housing need does not apply to replacements or to the retention and upgrade of vernacular dwellings.
Source: Volume 1, Chapter 4, section 4.6.4 and objectives RH 8, RH 11, RH 20Outside zoned settlements, any development that is vulnerable to flooding and is in Flood Zone A or B must pass the 'justification test'. Exceptional health circumstances can justify a rural house, with a seven-year occupancy condition.
Source: Volume 1, Chapter 4, objectives RH 7 and RH 14From the Laois County Development Plan 2021-2027 (as varied). See all the Laois development plan rules, by topic.
Is your site affected?
These figures cover the whole of Laois. 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 Laois planning decisions
Click a dot to see the decision and open the full application.
Map of recent Laois decisions
Planning applications decided in the last 12 months. Orange is granted, grey is refused.
Towns and areas in Laois
Places with the most applications in the last 5 years.
Planning a project in Laois?
Check whether you need permission before you spend anything.
Common questions about Laois planning
How do I apply for planning permission in Laois?
You apply to Laois 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 Laois?
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 Laois 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 Laois County Council?
Yes. Laois 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.