Galway City and County Council had below-average rates of planning approvals in 2021, according to the Annual Overview of the Planning System for 2021, published by the Office of the Planning Regulator.
Galway City Council had an approval rate of 86 percent for planning applications, while the figure for Galway County Council was 82 percent, compared to a national average approval rate of 88.5 percent.
Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR ) this week published its Annual Overview of the Planning System 2021. The report reviews key trends and outputs over the year in the wider planning system in Ireland. It includes a comparison with patterns in previous years and is the only analysis of its kind of the Irish planning system.
The report also identifies and makes observations on some of the key trends which reflect Ireland’s and each local authority’s planning performance in 2021. It includes key statistics and indicators relating to both Galway Councils.
To coincide with the report, the OPR has also launched a new series of videos and flowcharts aimed at helping people navigate their way through the planning application process.
Some of the key findings in the report relating to Galway City and County Councils are:
The planning invalidation rate (the percentage of invalidated planning applications as a proportion of all applications made ) for Galway County Council decreased from 10.1% to 7% and increased for Galway City Council from 7.4% in 2020 to 12.2% in 2021;
In Galway City Council in 2021, 86% of all planning applications were granted permission while 14% were refused. The numbers for Galway County Council were 82% and 18% respectively. The national average grant-rate in 2021 was 88.5%.
In total, there were 310 planning applications approved and 51 refused by Galway City Council while Galway County council approved 1,663 and refused 355 in 2021.
Overall in 2021, 13.8% of planning application decisions made by Galway City Council were appealed to An Bord Pleanála. Of these, 25.7% were reversed. In Galway County Council, 3.5% of decisions were appealed with 29.5% reversed. The national average rate of appeal in 2021 was 6.7%, the average reversal rate was 27.7%;
Galway City Council had a total of 135 sites designated by local authorities as either vacant and/or derelict. This contrasts with the CSO figure for the county of 2,841.1 The equivalent figures for Galway County Council were 137 and 9,646 respectively.
Commenting on these findings, Planning Regulator, Niall Cussen said the results were encourgaing given the challenging environment.
“2021 was a year in which local authorities such as Galway City and County Councils continued to deliver key statutory planning functions within strict timelines and in an operational environment that was challenging due to public health restrictions imposed as a result of the Covid pandemic.
“It is a great credit to the planning process in general that high levels of throughput in handling planning applications and appeals continued despite the pressures,” he said.
“While core planning functions continue to experience high volumes of activity, more is also being asked of local authorities.
“2021 was also a year of very significant activity by local authorities in starting to implement funding streams aimed at securing urban and rural regeneration. However, a critical function to such investment will require concerted action on vacant and derelict buildings.
“While core planning functions continue to experience high volumes of activity, more is also being asked of local authorities,” he said.
The OPR was established in April 2019 on foot of recommendations made by the Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments (the Mahon Tribunal ).
Its purpose is to oversee the continuous enhancement of Ireland’s planning process and its outcomes by driving the co-ordination of planning policy implementation across national, regional and local levels, building a stronger knowledge base and ensuring regular reviews of the performance of planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála.
