Roscommon development plan
The Roscommon County Development Plan 2022-2028 sets the rules Roscommon 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
- Roscommon County Development Plan 2022-2028
- Period
- 2022 to 2028
- Status
- Adopted 8 March 2022, in effect from 19 April 2022. A proposed Variation No. 1 has been published
- 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 Roscommon
Plain-English summaries of rules in the Roscommon County Development Plan 2022-2028 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.
Roscommon has Rural Policy Zone A (areas under urban influence, where at least 15% of the workforce commutes to a nearby larger town) and Rural Policy Zone B (remaining rural areas). In Zone A you must show a demonstrable economic or social need to live in the area. In Zone B, rural housing is facilitated subject to siting and design criteria. The Hodson Bay and Lough Key areas have their own rules in Volume II.
Source: Volume I, Chapter 3, section 3.10 and Table 3.1Economic need means full-time rural work for over five years (farming, forestry, bloodstock, peat, waterway or marine work) or a business that must be based in the rural area. Social need means being born in the local rural area, or having lived there for a substantial part of your life, including returning emigrants, or having lived in the community for at least five years or having close family ties. You cannot qualify if you already had permission for or own a rural house, unless there are exceptional circumstances.
Source: Volume I, Chapter 3, Table 3.2Successful applicants in Zone A must sign a Section 47 legal agreement restricting occupancy to the applicant and immediate family, or others who meet the need criteria, for 7 years. A replacement dwelling is only considered where the old building is clearly recognisable as a dwelling and cannot be made structurally sound.
Source: Volume I, Chapter 3, Table 3.2 and Replacement DwellingsSummaries 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 Roscommon 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 Roscommon 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 Roscommon development plan
What is the Roscommon development plan?
The Roscommon County Development Plan 2022-2028 is the main planning policy document for Roscommon County Council. It covers 2022 to 2028 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 Roscommon?
Zoning maps are part of the plan. Open the plan on the Roscommon 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 Roscommon 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 Roscommon?
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 Roscommon plan says, and the council's pre-planning meeting is the best way to test your case.
Plan details compiled from Roscommon County Council's own website, source page, checked 29 Oct 2026. This page is a guide, not legal advice. Sources and methodology.