MapAlerter Latest News

What the Data Shows: Carlow Planning Applications 2016–2025

Planning activity in Carlow County Council has increased notably over the last decade, with planning application volumes now sitting well above the mid-2010s baseline. However, the most recent figures suggest that activity is cooling again after a strong rebound in 2023. According to the planning application totals in our dataset covering 2016 to 2025, Carlow recorded 377 applications in 2016, rising to 461 applications in 2025. This represents a net increase of 84 applications, or roughly +22% over the period. While this points to a clear long-term improvement, the trendline is characterised by distinct phases including a major jump in 2018, a peak in 2021, and a more recent two-year easing.

The most striking change in the decade occurs between 2017 and 2018, when planning applications rise sharply from 371 to 508. This is the single biggest year-on-year increase in the Carlow dataset and marks a decisive shift in activity. Instead of returning to the lower pre-2018 levels, planning volumes remain consistently higher thereafter, signalling that demand for development and planning permissions stepped up into a new tier. This higher baseline holds through the following years. In 2019, Carlow posted 500 applications, followed by 479 in 2020, before reaching the decade peak in 2021, when Carlow recorded 523 planning applications. That 2021 figure represents the highest annual volume in the dataset and indicates that planning demand remained resilient through a period when many regions were still navigating uncertainty in construction and delivery.

Post-Peak Dip in 2022 Followed by Strong 2023 Rebound

The peak was followed by a clear correction in 2022, when application volumes fell to 453  a drop of 70 applications compared to 2021. Importantly, however, the downturn did not persist. In 2023, Carlow bounced back strongly to 517 applications, nearly returning to peak levels. That rebound suggests the 2022 decline may have reflected a temporary slowdown in submissions, project timing effects, or wider market uncertainty rather than a structural fall in demand.

Source: MapAlerter analysis of planning application data.

A New Shift Emerging in the Latest Data

More recently, though, the numbers point toward another shift. Planning applications eased to 489 in 2024, and then declined again in 2025 to 461. While this remains comfortably above the earlier years of the dataset, the fact that Carlow has now recorded two consecutive annual declines is notable. This pattern often reflects a cooling of development momentum and may point to feasibility pressures, financing caution, or delayed project pipelines particularly in a high-cost environment. Overall, the decade-long picture remains positive for Carlow: planning activity in 2025 is still substantially higher than pre-2018 levels. But the most recent two-year decline suggests 2026 will be an important indicator year, helping confirm whether this is simply a return to normal volatility or the early signal of a more sustained slowdown in planning applications across the county.

Busiest and Quietest Months for New Planning Applications

Analysis of the monthly distribution of new planning applications in County Carlow (2025) shows a clear seasonal pattern, with demand fluctuating across the year rather than remaining evenly spread. November was the busiest month (57 new applications), indicating a pronounced end-of-year surge in submission volumes. In contrast, January was the quietest month (22 new applications), reflecting a slower post-year-end start to the calendar year. Activity levels then strengthened steadily through the mid-year period, with consistent application volumes from May to October (typically 39–44 applications per month), before rising sharply in November. This month-by-month trend highlights predictable peaks and troughs in the annual planning workload, supporting evidence-based resourcing and service planning.

Stay informed about planning activity in your area

While long-term planning trend analysis provides valuable strategic insight, timely awareness of new planning applications is increasingly important for residents, professionals, community organisations, and businesses. Early access to planning information supports informed engagement and enables stakeholders to respond proactively to developments that may impact local areas. MapAlerter supports this need by providing weekly email notifications of new planning applications, tailored to user-selected locations. These alerts enable recipients to monitor planning activity in specific areas across County Carlow and remain informed of changes as they arise. Alerts are issued to individuals, including Carlow residents and businesses, reflecting strong demand for accessible, location-based planning information. Many businesses subscribe to planning alerts to support local awareness and to obtain advance notice of developments that may affect operations, investment, or community engagement. Members of the public and stakeholders can sign up to receive planning application alerts relevant to their location, supporting ongoing awareness and timely participation in the planning process.

A Word of Appreciation For The Data Providers

Data Source & Licensing: Planning Data is published by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-ND 4.0).  We would like to thank the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government for making Planning Data publicly available. The availability of this data supports improved transparency and enables services such as MapAlerter to process and present planning-related information in more accessible and useful formats. The data used in this report is based on results that were available from Jan 5th 2026.