Planning Permission: How Irish Towns Could Transform by 2040
Problem: Towns face housing pressure, vacancy and climate risks; Agitation: current patterns threaten local services and resilience; Solution: smarter planning permission and targeted investment can reshape towns now.
Many Irish towns have become part of expanding commuter belts as people seek affordable housing near cities, putting pressure on local services and driving change in town form and function, a recent RTE analysis reports. Towns are also struggling with vacant properties, shifting demographics and limited local employment that together weaken daytime economies and community life.
Experts say future-proofing towns will rely on clearer planning permission pathways that prioritise compact growth, reuse of vacant and brownfield sites, and higher-density housing close to existing services, aligning with the National Development Plan’s push for targeted capital investment to unlock homes and infrastructure.
Climate adaptation is central: towns at flood risk must avoid ad hoc expansion and instead follow guidance that integrates flood-risk development controls and environmental impact considerations into local plans, ensuring new schemes do not increase vulnerability.
Local character and viability depend on mixed-use regeneration — combining housing, small-scale retail, community facilities and active travel links — so residents can work, shop and socialise locally rather than commute, reducing pressure on regional transport networks and supporting town centres.
Delivery requires faster, more predictable decision-making from planning authorities and clarity around An Bord Pleanála decisions where appeals arise, alongside incentives for brownfield remediation and schemes that deliver both affordable and family housing types to meet demographic needs.
Policy tools highlighted include stronger Local Area Plans, compact-growth targets, and tighter controls on material contravention of development plans; these aim to direct investment where it reinforces town resilience while protecting sensitive landscapes and habitats through proper environmental impact appraisal.
Case studies and modelling in the RTE piece show successful town regeneration combines central-government funding for infrastructure, local leadership on placemaking, and private-sector delivery of housing schemes approved under clear planning permission processes to avoid delays and costly appeals.
Practical steps for towns include mapping vacant stock for reuse, prioritising town-centre sites for housing scheme approval, upgrading wastewater and energy capacity to unlock sustainable growth, and investing in active travel so short trips are viable without a car.
The article concludes that with coordinated national funding, sensible planning permission reform, and local commitment to mixed-use regeneration, Irish towns can evolve into compact, climate-resilient places that retain services and strengthen community life rather than simply functioning as dormitories for nearby cities.
Originally reported in on Sat, 20 Dec 2025 07:03:53 +0000. [Full story]
