Potential Planning Impacts
It is likely that the Government may introduce Emergency Legislation to extend/suspend the statutory timeframes which apply to planning applications and appeals. Currently a planning application which is not adjudicated upon within the 8 week timeframe (barring an F.I. & assuming no 3rd party appeal) receives a grant of permission by default. The current planning process timeframe is as follows:
| 3rd Party Observation Period: | 5 weeks from receipt of application |
| Planning Authority Decision: | 8 weeks from application validation |
| Further Information Receipt: | 6 months from request |
| Appeals to ABP: | 4 weeks from L.A decision |
| ABP Decision: | 18 weeks (but can be unilaterally extended) |
Any ongoing reviews of Local Area Plans or Development Plans are likely to be postponed as the requirements for Public Consultations cannot be adhered-to due to COVID-19. The Oral Hearing for the N6 Galway City Ring Road has also been postponed by ABP until the end of March at the earliest.
