Every statutory deadline on a planning file, from a planning reference or from the dates on the file: the last day for a submission, the decision due date, the last day to appeal, observations on an appeal and judicial review. Each date is worked out under the Act that governs the application, with the section cited.
The first day counts. The 2000 Act periods run for a number of weeks "beginning on" the day of receipt or decision, so that day is day one. A four-week appeal period from a decision made on a Monday ends on the Sunday four weeks later, then moves to the next working day. Section 37(1)(d) of the 2000 Act.
Christmas is left out. The days from 24 December to 1 January, both inclusive, are disregarded in calculating any period under the 2000 Act or its regulations (section 251), and any period of one year or less under the 2024 Act other than in an enforcement notice (section 402(1)). A period that runs over Christmas therefore ends nine days later than the calendar suggests.
Weekends and public holidays. Under the 2000 Act an appeal whose last day falls on a Saturday, a Sunday, a public holiday or a day the Commission's offices are closed is valid if received on the next day they are open (section 141(2)), and the same applies to observations to the Commission (section 141(3)) and to the authority's own decision (section 141(1)). There is no equivalent provision for a submission to the planning authority under the 2000 Act, so that date is shown as it falls. Under the 2024 Act, section 402(3) moves any last day that falls when the relevant office is closed to the next day it is open. Judicial review moves to the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday (section 281(4) of the 2024 Act). Office closures other than weekends and public holidays are not known in advance and are not allowed for.
Where the Act's wording is open to two readings, the earlier date is shown. Section 360(1)(b) of the 2024 Act requires an appeal "within 4 weeks of" the decision, without the 2000 Act's "beginning on". The calculator counts the decision day as day one, which gives the earlier of the two possible dates. The same approach is taken for observations on a 2024 Act appeal, and judicial review is shown without the Christmas disregard.
Which Act applies. An application lodged on or before 12 October 2026 is decided, and any appeal is made, under the 2000 Act. An application lodged on or after 13 October 2026 is made under the 2024 Act. The submission period under the 2024 Act is set by regulations (section 97(1)); the five weeks shown comes from the draft Control of Development (Planning Authorities) Regulations 2026, which had not been made as at 2 October 2026.
It does not know about a request for further information, which changes the decision date, or a notice of significant further information, which opens a new submission period. It does not cover strategic infrastructure, large-scale residential development, Chapter 4 development decided by the Commission, or applications with an EIAR or NIS, which carry different periods. The register is refreshed in batches, so a decision made in the last few days may not appear; the dates can then be entered by hand. See appealing a decision, making a submission from 13 October and what changes when Part 4 commences.
The practice advises on whether there is a planning case and prepares the submission or appeal before the period ends.