Planning authority

Planning in Laois

Planning applications, decisions and housing delivery for Laois County Council, drawn from the national planning register, the CSO and the Uisce Éireann capacity register. The figures update each month.

1,040
Applications received in the 12 months to 21 September 2026
94.1%
Granted, of applications decided, received 2023 to 2025 (1,658 decisions). Rank 3 of 31
925
Homes completed, Q3 2025 to Q2 2026 (CSO)
551
Homes commenced, August 2025 to July 2026 (CSO)

Applications Each Year

Applications received by Laois County Council in each full year since 2017, with the share of decided applications that were granted. The grant rate for 2023 to 2025 is 94.1%, 5.2 points above the national rate of 88.9%.

70795% granted201777696% granted201872997% granted201969796% granted202089394% granted202179095% granted202282195% granted202392494% granted202499493% granted2025

What Is Applied For

Applications received in 2023 to 2025 by type of development, as classified from the description on the register, with the grant rate for each type here and nationally.

Type of developmentApplicationsGranted hereGranted nationally
Single house81991.4%86.8%
Extension62197.4%94.7%
Housing scheme43093.5%83.1%
Other-mixed22598.1%87.7%
Change of use15492.4%86.9%
Agricultural14798.9%91.3%
Commercial-industrial8990.7%87.2%
Apartments7893.5%80.1%
Retention (unclassified)60too few80.4%
Demolition5295.8%86.3%
Signage-telecoms4192.6%83.1%
Solar-energy23too few88.6%

Homes Completed

925 homes were completed in Laois in the four quarters Q3 2025 to Q2 2026: 144 single houses, 686 houses in schemes and 95 apartments (CSO, new dwelling completions by local authority). The national picture, and how completions relate to permissions, is in the monthly housing pipeline report.

Largest Residential Applications, Last Two Years

Applications for 20 or more homes received since 21 September 2024, largest first, where the number of homes can be read from the register. Some applications do not state it in a form that can be read, so the list is not complete; a scheme refused and lodged again appears twice. No applicant is named.

ReferenceReceivedLocationHomesStatus
26602555 May 2026Dargan Woods , Borris Road , Portlaoise Co. Laois174Not recorded
246077717 December 2024Leighlin Road , Crossneen Carlow , Co. Laois.131Not recorded
256024124 April 2025Meadows Fort , Crossneen Graiguecullen Carlow Environs , Co. Laois98Granted
256021015 April 2025Meadows Fort , Crossneen Graiguecullen Carlow Environs , Co. Laois98Granted
256025529 April 2025A site at Bishopswood Road , Portarlington , Co. Laois97Granted
256038530 June 2025A c. 3.85 Ha site at Summerhill , Portlaoise , Co. Laois92Granted
256037726 June 2025A c. 3.85 Ha site at Summerhill , Portlaoise , Co. Laois92Not recorded
246070019 November 2024Leighlin Road , Crossneen Carlow , Co. Laois.90Granted
26601122 March 2026Colliers Lane Ballyroan (townland) , Portlaoise , Co. Laois88Granted
266010426 February 2026Colliers Lane Ballyroan (townland) , Portlaoise , Co. Laois88Not recorded
26600087 January 2026Lands located between Harpur’s Lane and Mountrath Road (former Centrepoint Shopping Centre76Granted
266038719 June 2026Canal Road , Portarlington , Co. Laois74Not recorded

Wastewater Capacity

Of the 29 settlements in Laois on the Uisce Éireann wastewater capacity register, 6 are shown red, 2 amber and 21 green (register as retrieved 15 September 2026). Uisce Éireann shows a red settlement as having no capacity available for new connections. A scheme there depends on a planned upgrade or, for a small discharge of up to 150 population equivalent (about 40 homes), the developer-led route in circular NSP 01/2026.

ArlessBallinakillBorris-in-OssoryNewtown DoonaneSwanTimahoeClonasleeMountmellick
How these figures are made. Laois County Council records an application without a recorded outcome as "N/A" in the national register: 39.5% of applications received in 2023 to 2025. These are left out of the grant rate, which uses only applications granted or refused. Invalidations are not recorded by this authority's system and are not compared between authorities. Register data to 21 September 2026; a recent application may take some weeks to appear. Completions are the CSO's quarterly series by local authority; commencements are the CSO's monthly series of commencement notices. The comparison table sets every authority side by side.

For a File in Laois

Planning Search finds any application received since 2013 by reference or address; the deadline calculator gives the last day for a submission or appeal from the reference; which Act applies settles whether the file is under the 2000 Act or the 2024 Act; appeal statistics show how often decisions here are changed on appeal. The council's own register: planning portal.

Planning Advice in Laois

AK Planning works nationally from Limerick: applications, submissions, appeals and site appraisals.

061 341 782 · Mob 086 688 7402 Ask AK Planning →