There was a sharp fall in the number of planning permissions granted through Strategic Housing Development (SHD) applications in the first quarter of this year, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

This led to significant drops in the number of permissions granted for new houses and apartments in the period. Under SHD, applications for developments of at least 100 residential units or 200-plus student bed spaces can be made directly to An Bord Pleanála.

The CSO said the total number of planning permissions granted in the first quarter was up 13% compared with the same period last year.

It explained, however, that one permission could account for multiple units of housing.

SHD approvals slump

While SHD approvals declined, there was an increase in the number of one-off houses approved.

The number of new houses approved under SHD applications dropped by almost 93% compared with a year earlier, while the figure for new apartments fell by 62%.

This meant that 3,089 new houses received the go-ahead in the first quarter, down almost 40%, while new apartment permissions fell 57% to 3,874. Apartment permissions have been higher than houses in every quarter since the third quarter of 2019.

Last year, the number of planning permissions granted for apartments jumped by almost 34% to the highest level since 2005, with SHD approvals accounting for more than three-quarters of the total.