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What Are Valid Planning Grounds?

When you support or object to an application, your comments must be based on planning considerations, not personal likes, dislikes or grievances. This guide sets out the difference.

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General guidance. This explains, in plain terms, the kinds of matters a planning authority can weigh. Whether a particular point carries weight depends on the site, the development plan and the facts. It's general information, not formal advice. Ask us to frame a submission that will actually be considered.

Anyone can make a submission on a planning application (within 5 weeks of it being lodged, for a €20 fee). But the authority can only take account of material planning considerations, so a well-aimed submission is far more effective than a heartfelt one.

What Counts, Material Planning Considerations

  • ✓ National and regional guidelines and ministerial directives.
  • ✓ The policies and objectives of the development plan.
  • ✓ The policies and objectives of any local plan.
  • ✓ Local considerations, site density, parking provision, traffic hazards, overlooking, and effects on residential amenity.
  • ✓ Public health.
  • ✓ Environmental, amenity and shopping impacts.
  • ✓ Other material planning matters.

What Generally Doesn't Count

The authority is not deciding a dispute between neighbours. It typically cannot give weight to:

  • ✕ Personal likes and dislikes, or objections to the applicant themselves.
  • ✕ Effects on the value of your property.
  • ✕ Private legal matters, boundaries, rights of way, land ownership or covenants.
  • ✕ Business competition (that a development would compete with your own).
Keep it factual. Your submission is a public document. Allegations against a person or organisation could be defamatory, argue the planning, not the personalities.

Turning a Concern into a Ground

Most genuine worries can be re-framed as a valid planning point. "It'll tower over us" becomes overlooking, overshadowing and loss of residential amenity, measured against the development plan's standards. "The road can't take it" becomes traffic hazard and inadequate access. That translation, from grievance to grounded planning argument, anchored in the development plan, is exactly what makes a submission land.

How we help. We prepare submissions and appeals where a scheme warrants it, built on the development plan and sound planning judgement. See Submissions & Appeals, and how the process works.
Sources: Citizens Information, commenting on a planning application · Office of the Planning Regulator

Preparing a Submission

We will tell you whether there is a planning case, and if there is, we will make it properly.

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