Planning permission in Leitrim
Leitrim County Council decides planning applications in Leitrim. Search every Leitrim planning application, see recent decisions and notices, and check what to expect before you apply. This page brings Leitrim 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Withdrawn and invalid applications are left out.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 Leitrim planning decisions
The latest granted and refused applications decided by Leitrim County Council. Wording is trimmed and never includes applicant names.
Leitrim 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 | 233 | 96% |
| 2022 | 208 | 96% |
| 2023 | 221 | 98% |
| 2024 | 225 | 95% |
| 2025 | 249 | 96% |
| 2026 (so far) | 195 | 97% |
Leitrim planning approval rates by project type
How often each kind of project was granted in Leitrim 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 Leitrim compares with other councils
Leitrim ranked against all 31 planning authorities, using the last 5 years of decisions. Each strip is one council, and the highlighted one is Leitrim.
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 Leitrim take?
A planning application in Leitrim, week by week, using real Leitrim decisions.
Lodging your Leitrim 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
36 in 100 decided Leitrim applications got a request for further information. If yours does, the clock pauses until you reply.
The Leitrim planning decision
Half of Leitrim decisions without a request for more information come by week 7. With a request for more information, the middle case takes about 20 weeks. 97 in 100 decided applications are granted.
Appealing a Leitrim planning decision
You or anyone who commented has four weeks to appeal to An Coimisiún Pleanála. 1.9 in 100 decided Leitrim applications went to appeal.
Starting work after permission is granted
Permission lasts five years. For permissions granted in Leitrim over the last 5 years, 35 in 100 have a commencement notice on record.
Check your Leitrim site before you apply
The pre-planning report covers zoning, protected structures, ground conditions and every application near your address, with the decisions.
Leitrim County Council planning department contacts
Who to call or write to about a planning application in Leitrim, and when they are available.
Free pre-planning meeting
Leitrim 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 Leitrim
Nature areas, historic buildings and monuments that can limit or shape a project in Leitrim. The figures come from national public datasets.
- Nature areas: check
- Historic buildings: surveyed
- Monuments: recorded
- Flood risk: check floodinfo.ie
Sites inside Leitrim, including proposed ones. Largest: Arroo Mountain, Cuilcagh - Anierin Uplands.
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.
Leitrim County Council policies to know
In 'Low Capacity Areas' (areas under strong urban influence, such as around Carrick-on-Shannon) you must show an economic or social need to live in the local area. Social need means you have lived for a substantial period (a minimum of 18 months) in the local rural area, generally within about 4 km of the site. Economic need means full-time work in farming or another rural activity there, or work that needs you to live nearby, and never having owned a rural house. A son or daughter of a landowner whose holding has been in the family for at least 10 years is also recognised. Elsewhere, housing demand is accommodated subject to normal planning rules.
Source: Volume I, Chapter 3, section 3.17, Policies RUR SET POL 2 and RUR SET POL 3In Low Capacity Areas, a one-off rural house carries a condition that only the applicant or their immediate family may live in it as a permanent home, for 7 years from first occupation. The council may also seek a Section 47 agreement limiting further building on a landholding where there is a lot of rural housing.
Source: Volume I, Chapter 3, Policies RUR SET POL 4 and RUR SET POL 5Extensions to rural houses are considered favourably if they do not harm neighbours or the character of the area. They should respect the scale, character and finishes of the original house and follow the Leitrim Rural Design Guide.
Source: Volume I, Chapter 3, section 3.17.6There is a presumption against demolishing traditional (vernacular) houses where restoration is feasible. A replacement house is only considered if it is generally within the curtilage (the footprint and immediate yard and garden area) of the house it replaces.
Source: Volume I, Chapter 3, section 3.17.5From the Leitrim County Development Plan 2023-2029. See all the Leitrim development plan rules, by topic.
Is your site affected?
These figures cover the whole of Leitrim. 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 Leitrim planning decisions
Click a dot to see the decision and open the full application.
Map of recent Leitrim decisions
Planning applications decided in the last 12 months. Orange is granted, grey is refused.
Towns and areas in Leitrim
Places with the most applications in the last 5 years.
Planning a project in Leitrim?
Check whether you need permission before you spend anything.
Common questions about Leitrim planning
How do I apply for planning permission in Leitrim?
You apply to Leitrim 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 Leitrim?
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 Leitrim 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 Leitrim County Council?
Yes. Leitrim 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 15 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.