In 2018, 29,243 dwelling units got planning permission, up 41% on 2017, Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures released today show.

The total number of planning permissions granted for all developments was 26,584 compared with 25,083 in 2017, an increase of 6%. 

New dwellings

Of this, 26% of permissions were for new dwellings, 30% for other new constructions and 44% for extensions, alterations and conversions

Planning permissions were granted for 20,019 houses in 2018, a 30% increase on the previous year, the highest number seen since 2009.

And planning permissions for apartments were up by 73% to 9,224 apartment units in 2018, from 5,336 units in 2017.

Statistician Paul Murphy said “Planning permissions were granted for 20,019 houses in 2018, compared with 15,440 in 2017, an increase of 30%.

Peak

“The number has increased every year since a low of 5,389 houses in 2012 but is significantly lower than the peak of 75,650 in 2005.

“Planning permissions were granted for 9,224 apartment units, compared with 5,336 units in 2017, an increase of 73%.

“The number of multi-development houses granted permission was 14,538, compared with 10,215 in 2017, an increase of 42%,” he said.

Some other key statistics released by the CSO today are as follows:

• Planning permissions were granted for 6,682 dwelling units, compared with 6,934 units for the fourth quarter of 2017, a decrease of 3.6%, 
• Planning permissions were granted for 4,376 houses in the fourth quarter of 2018 and 4,292 in the fourth quarter of 2017, an increase of 2.0%, 
• Planning permissions were granted for 2,306 apartment units, compared with 2,642 units for the same period in 2017, a decrease of 12.7%, 
• One-off houses accounted for 20.3% of all new dwelling units granted planning permission in this quarter, 
• The total number of planning permissions granted for all developments was 6,300. This compares with 5,961 in the fourth quarter of 2017, an increase of 5.7%,
• Total floor area planned was 1,672 thousand square metres in the fourth quarter of 2018. Of this, 54.3% was for new dwellings, 29.5% for other new constructions and 16.2% for extensions.  The total floor area planned increased by 5.0% in comparison with the same quarter in 2017, 
•  In this quarter, 286 planning permissions were granted for new buildings for Agriculture. This compares to 289 permissions in the same quarter of 2017. 

Strategic Housing Development Applications

The first permissions granted through Strategic Housing Development (SHD) planning applications were in 2018.

This is where applications for developments of at least 100 residential units or 200-plus student bed spaces can be made directly to An Bord Pleanála. Permissions were granted for 3,284 new houses and 3,818 new apartment units via SHD applications in 2018.