When a council decides a planning application, a person who made a submission on it can ask An Coimisiún Pleanála (formerly An Bord Pleanála) to look at the decision again. This is called a third-party appeal. The Commission then decides the application as if it had been made to it in the first instance (section 37(1)(b) of the Planning and Development Act 2000).
Do not wait for the final grant. The council's final grant of permission only issues after the appeal period has ended. The four weeks run from the council's decision to grant, as notified to you.
Who can appeal?
Under section 37(1)(a), the applicant and any person who made a submission or observation in writing to the planning authority on the application can appeal, on payment of the fee. For a third party that means you must have made a submission to the council, and you must include the council's acknowledgement letter for it with your appeal.
Your submission must have been made in accordance with the permission regulations: it reached the council within its five-week period, with the €20 fee and your name and address, and the appeal must come from the same person or body that made it. If you did not make a valid submission, you generally cannot appeal this way. There are limited exceptions: a prescribed body that should have been notified but was not, a qualifying environmental organisation where an EIAR was required for the development (section 37(4)), and an owner, occupier or person with an interest in land bordering the site, who can apply for leave to appeal. A leave-to-appeal application must reach the Commission within the same four weeks (fee €110, code A10); if leave is granted you then have a short, separate time to lodge the appeal (fee €110, code A11).
What can you appeal?
A third party can appeal a planning authority's decision to grant permission, and any conditions attached to it. Some decisions cannot be appealed, for example where the council decided the application was invalid, a grant of permission following an outline permission, a decision on development in a strategic development zone, and a grant where the only issue is a financial contribution condition. A refusal is a different route, open to the applicant. The Commission's guide to making a planning appeal lists them.
What does it cost?
The fee for a third-party appeal is €220 (code A9 in the Commission's fee schedule). A reduced fee of €110 applies only to the bodies on the Commission's list, mostly public and prescribed bodies; residents' groups and individuals pay €220 unless listed. Fees can change, so check the Commission's fees page before you pay. This is separate from the €20 you paid the council with your original submission.
What your appeal must include
An Coimisiún Pleanála's checklist says an appeal must:
- Be in a valid written format: made online, by post or delivered in person. There is no official form.
- Clearly state your name and address. If someone acts for you, such as a planning agent, they must give their own name and address as well as yours.
- Identify the application, for example with a copy of the council's decision, or the name of the planning authority and the planning register reference.
- Give your grounds of appeal: the reasons and arguments, with any supporting items.
- Include the council's acknowledgement of your original submission (third-party appeals).
- Come with the correct fee, and reach the Commission within the four weeks.
You do not need to send the application documents, drawings or maps again. The Commission advises against re-uploading what was already submitted to the council and displayed on its website; include only new material.
Grounds of appeal
As with an objection, a good appeal sets out planning grounds: why the decision does not accord with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area, by reference to the matters a planning authority must consider under section 34(2)(a) and the local development plan. Typical grounds are overlooking and loss of privacy, loss of daylight, traffic and parking, scale and character, density and height, flood risk, noise, and loss of residential amenity. See valid grounds explained. Personal disputes with the applicant are not planning grounds.
Draft your appeal letter
Enter the council, the register reference, the decision date and your grounds. You get a free preview with your four-week deadline worked out. The letter states your standing under section 37(1)(a), the time limit, your grounds of appeal, a request to the Commission and the list of enclosures.
Write my appeal →Questions
How long do I have to appeal a planning decision in Ireland?
Four weeks beginning on the day the planning authority made its decision (section 37(1)(d) of the Planning and Development Act 2000). The limit is strict: An Coimisiún Pleanála must have the appeal by 5.30pm on the last day, and an appeal received late is invalid (section 37(3)).
Can I appeal if I did not make a submission to the council?
Generally no. A third-party appeal is open to someone who made a submission on the application to the planning authority, and the appeal must include the council's acknowledgement of it. There are limited exceptions, such as owners or occupiers of neighbouring land applying for leave to appeal; An Coimisiún Pleanála explains them on its website.
How much does a third-party planning appeal cost?
The fee for a third-party appeal to An Coimisiún Pleanála is €220 under its published fee schedule (code A9). A reduced fee applies to certain listed organisations. Check the Commission's fees page for the current amount before you pay.
Is there an official form for a planning appeal?
No. An Coimisiún Pleanála says there is no official form required. You must give your name and address, identify the application (the planning authority and its register reference, or a copy of the decision), state your grounds of appeal, include the council's acknowledgement of your submission and pay the fee.
Sources
- Planning and Development Act 2000, section 37 (appeals)
- An Coimisiún Pleanála: make an appeal (who can appeal, time limits, checklist)
- An Coimisiún Pleanála: making a planning appeal guide
- An Coimisiún Pleanála: fees
Checked against those sources on 10 October 2026. Rules and fees can change; confirm the time limit and fee with An Coimisiún Pleanála before you rely on this page. PlanningLetter.ie is a document drafting tool and is not legal advice.