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Planning application trends in County Tipperary over the past decade

Planning activity in County Tipperary has increased over the past decade, despite sharp disruption during the Covid-19 period and a significant fall in applications in 2022, according to analysis of planning data processed through MapAlerter. Between 2016 and 2025, the number of planning applications submitted in the county rose from 1,230 to 1,591, representing an overall increase of approximately 29% over the ten-year period.The data shows that while planning activity fluctuated year to year, Tipperary followed a broadly similar pattern to national trends with steady growth before the pandemic, a strong rebound in 2021, and a subsequent correction before activity began to recover again.

Tipperary planning applications: at a glance (2016–2025)

• Planning applications increased by around 29% over the decade, rising from 1,230 in 2016 to 1,591 in 2025.
• 2021 was the peak year, with 1,894 applications, the highest level recorded in the period analysed.
• Applications fell sharply in 2022, declining by more than 24% year-on-year, before stabilising in 2023 and recovering in 2024 and 2025.
• By 2025, Tipperary accounted for approximately 4.5% of planning applications nationally, ranking eighth highest among local authorities in the dataset.

Source: MapAlerter analysis of planning application data.

Pandemic disruption followed by strong rebound

Planning applications in Tipperary increased steadily between 2016 and 2018, before easing slightly in 2019. Despite the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020, the total number of applications submitted that year rose to 1,596, reflecting the fact that the planning system remained operational throughout the public health emergency. However, the effects of Covid were not evenly distributed across the period. Disruptions to site access, consultations, and project preparation meant that many applications were deferred rather than cancelled. This is reflected most clearly in 2021, which recorded the highest number of planning applications of the decade, at 1,894, an increase of almost 19% on the previous year. The surge is consistent with national planning trends reported by the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR), which identified 2021 as a year of significant rebound following pandemic-related disruption.

Sharp decline in 2022

The strong growth seen in 2021 was followed by a pronounced fall in 2022, when applications in Tipperary dropped by more than 24% to 1,436. The decline coincided with a period of change in the planning system, including the transition from the Strategic Housing Development (SHD) process to the Large-Scale Residential Development (LRD) framework, which altered timelines and procedures for certain types of residential development. Rising construction costs and tighter financing conditions during 2022 and 2023 are also likely to have contributed to the reduction, as project viability came under increased pressure.

Gradual recovery in recent years

Following the 2022 drop, planning activity stabilised in 2023, before beginning to rise again. Applications increased to 1,447 in 2024, followed by a further increase to 1,591 in 2025, representing a year-on-year rise of 10%. By 2025, Tipperary accounted for approximately 4.5% of all planning applications nationally, placing it eighth highest among local authorities by volume in the dataset analysed.
The recovery mirrors national figures published by the OPR, which noted that planning activity cooled in 2023 before showing signs of renewed growth more recently.

Long-term trends remain upward

Over the full ten-year period, the data indicates that planning activity in Tipperary has trended upward despite short-term volatility. The figures suggest that while external shocks such as Covid-19, policy transitions, and economic pressures can cause significant year-to-year swings, underlying demand for development in the county has remained resilient. Planning professionals note that monitoring longer-term trends is essential, as single-year changes can mask broader patterns in housing demand, land activation, and infrastructure pressure.

Importance of local monitoring

The Tipperary figures highlight the value of tracking planning data at county level rather than relying solely on national totals. The data also underlines the importance of ongoing monitoring as planning activity continues to recover, particularly in counties like Tipperary that have historically recorded relatively high planning grant rates.

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 and remain informed of changes as they arise.

In 2025, Tipperary County Council issued a total of 124,470 planning alert notifications. These alerts were issued to individuals, including Tipperary 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.