Dublin planning permissions running out in the next 12 months, and the 2025 extension rule

A planning permission lasts five years from the date of the grant (Planning and Development Act 2000, s.40(3)). When it expires, any part of the development not built needs a fresh permission. For the owner of an unstarted housing site the last year is decisive: start, extend, or lose the consent the land's price was based on. That makes a permission running out the strongest reason on the map for a site to change hands.

On 25 September 2026 the largest in Dublin City was Holy Cross College: 1,614 homes granted on 4 November 2021, expiring on 4 November 2026, with no commencement notice. Another is Heuston South Quarter: 399 homes, expiring 31 March 2027.

What an owner can still do

Start. Starting does not stop the clock: under s.40 the permission still expires for any part not completed by the end date. What starting buys is the chance of an extension under s.42(1).

Extend under s.42(1). The council must extend a permission, by up to five years in total, if the development has commenced, substantial works were carried out before expiry, and it will be finished within a reasonable time. The application must be made before the permission expires. An unstarted site does not qualify.

The 2025 rule for uncommenced housing. The Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2025, s.28, inserted s.42(1A): housing that has not commenced could get up to three more years without having done substantial works. The window was narrow. Section 28 commenced on 1 August 2025; applications could be made no earlier than two years before the permission's expiry and no later than six months after commencement, so the window closed in early February 2026. Fingal County Council's guidance notes the extension is conditional on work starting in time.

The 2024 Act. The Planning and Development Act 2024 sets out a new extension procedure (s.140). Section 140(14) keeps s.42 of the 2000 Act in operation for three years from the passing of the 2024 Act.

Reapply. A new application for the same or a revised scheme. It takes time and money, and the rules may have moved since the first grant.

Planning Register's expiry and extension guide covers the application itself.

For a buyer

An unstarted permission in its last year is worth less every month to its owner and, if bought in time, worth the same to a builder who can start. Check three things before you approach:

1. The exact expiry date, in the planning file (an appeal decision or an earlier extension changes it).
2. Whether a commencement notice has been lodged since the date shown.
3. Whether the permission was already extended: the planning file records any extension of duration.

After expiry the consent is gone, but the zoning, the planning history and the design work often still carry value; expired grants from the last two years stay on the list for that reason.

Frequently asked questions

How long does planning permission last in Ireland?

Five years from the date of the grant, unless the permission sets a longer period (Planning and Development Act 2000, s.40).

Can I extend a permission if I haven't started?

Not under s.42(1): it needs substantial works before expiry. The 2025 Amendment Act's route for uncommenced housing (s.42(1A)) had an application window that closed in early February 2026.

Where is the list of permissions expiring in Dublin?

On Buildable, by council, with the expiry date and the number of homes for each. The links are below.