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Planning report · Galway County Council · 500 m around the house · the last 12 months · 1 Nov 2026, 14:30

Headford

53.47041, -9.09906

Homes here mostly date from the 2000s.

See on the mapWatch this area
Distance
250 m500 m1 km2 km
Time
12 months2 years5 years

Not held yet for Galway County Council: council consultations.

52 daystypical wait for a decisionmiddle half 50–540open for comments nearbywithin 500 m

How planning works, with this area's numbers

steps can overlap · medians for home extensions within 1.5 km, 10 years
  1. 1ApplySite notice up, plans online
  2. 2Comments5 weeks, €20. Comment to keep your right to appeal
  3. 3Decision8 weeks by law. Here 52 days
  4. 4Appeal window4 weeks after the decision
  5. 5AppealAt An Coimisiún Pleanála
  6. 6PermissionLasts 5 years
  7. 7StartStart notice to the council
  8. 8Sign-offCompletion cert, or the owner opts out
Question 1

What's the planning story of this house?

Figure 1

When it was built, and the rules since

Most homes here were built 2001–10, under planning permission and building regulations.

Timeline from 1955: planning permission needed from October 1964, building regulations from June 1992, building records online from March 2014, sign-off opt-out from September 2015. Most homes here were built 2001–2010.1960197019801990200020102020Oct 1964permission neededJun 1992building regulationsMar 2014building records onlineSep 2015owners may opt out of sign-offThis houseAll of GortnamonaBuilt: most homes in this small area date from 2001–2010 (census estimate)most built2021: 1 file on Gortnamona2022: 1 file on Gortnamona2023: 2 files on Gortnamona2024: 3 files on Gortnamona7 files

Each line is a rule that applies to work done after it.

MeasuredEstimatecouncil register via NPAD · build years: CSO Census 2022, small area

On this site
R2
Zoning · Existing residential
No
Protected or listed · on the council's list
Yes
Vacant land tax · 3% of land value a year
No
Flood zone (development plan) · not in Zone A or B
Zoning, protection, tax and flood: the detail
ZoningR2 · Existing residential
What it says

Residential Existing: To protect and improve residential amenities of existing residential areas

An established residential area. The objective is to protect existing residential amenity as well as to provide housing — which is the objective a neighbour's objection to an overbearing extension is usually argued under.

galway county development plan 2022 2028 · 20 Jun 2022 – 19 Jun 2028

Not on this site: protected building, heritage inventory, monument zone, conservation area, EU nature site, EU bird site, natural heritage area, tree order, landslide risk, derelict list.

Licensed industrial sites within 1.0 km: Headford (466 m)

Vacant land taxYes 3% of the land's value a year
Flood riskNone mapped within 500 m
Within 500 mCountFor example
Heritage inventory buildings2public house; bank/financial institution
Monuments8Castle - unclassified; Country house
How we work this out
'On this site' means the record's own map outline touches the registered parcel (or a 12 m circle round the point where there is no parcel). Only the council's own list confirms a protected building; ask the council if in doubt. This land is on the council's final map for the vacant land tax. Unless it is a home someone lives in (or its garden), the owner pays 3% of the land's value a year until homes are built or the zoning changes. The OPW flood map's licence lets us show a yes/no only. Land on the vacant land tax map nearby: 41 on the draft 2027 map; 41 on the final 2026 map.
Sources: Development plan zoning (councils), EPA licensed facilities (LEAP), Residential Zoned Land Tax maps, Constraint layers (bundle), National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, Sites and Monuments Record · fetched 26 Oct 2026, 23:21
SourceLicenceFetchedLink
Development plan zoning (councils)CC BY 4.025 Oct 2026, 23:06open
EPA licensed facilities (LEAP)CC BY 4.026 Oct 2026, 23:21open
Residential Zoned Land Tax mapsCC BY 4.025 Oct 2026, 23:43open
Constraint layers (bundle)CC BY 4.0, CC BY-NC-ND 4.027 Sept 2026, 19:37open
National Inventory of Architectural HeritageCC BY 4.027 Sept 2026, 19:35open
Sites and Monuments RecordCC BY 4.027 Sept 2026, 19:29open
How we work this out
Applications whose site outline (or map point) falls on this property. 'No sign building has started' means we found no notice to the council's building control office; small jobs don't always file one, so ask. A missing completion certificate is not proof of a problem: an owner can opt out of official sign-off for a house or extension built for themselves.
Sources: Building Control Management System (commencement notices), National Planning Application Database · fetched 1 Nov 2026, 05:02
SourceLicenceFetchedLink
Building Control Management System (commencement notices)CC BY 4.01 Nov 2026, 03:07open
National Planning Application DatabaseCC BY 4.01 Nov 2026, 05:02open
Question 2

Could you extend?

Nothing on this site restricts it: not protected, not in a conservation area.

Figure 2

What happened to applications like yours

A new house in a garden is harder: 100% approved, and 1 in 2 are asked for more information.

New house in a garden or site5 decided · more info asked 60%
100% · council 79%
Approved nearbyGalway overall

Decided applications within 1.5 km, received in the last 10 years. The kind of work is read from each description.

CalculatedOur classificationcouncil register via NPAD · 5 nearby, 3,279 council-wide

Figure 3

Gortnamona, file by file since 2021

3 of 3 decided extensions on the road were approved.

7 planning files on Gortnamona since 2021, by kind and decision.202120222023202420252026Extensions, atticsNo number · 2022 · garden room · approved · 2261033No. 8 · 2023 · single-storey side · approved · 23104No number · 2023 · other extension · approved · 2365Porches, roofs, otherNo number · 2021 · other work · refused · 211637No number · 2024 · other work · approved · 24300No number · 2024 · other work · approved · 2460780No number · 2024 · other work · refused · 2461437New house in a side garden
ApprovedRefusedWithdrawn or invalid

7 files with "Gortnamona" in the address within 600 m, other roads of the same name left out. Hover a dot for the house number and reference.

MeasuredOur classificationcouncil register via NPAD · 2021–2026

Extensions and refusals right beside you 0 within 250 m · 0 refused within 100 m

Extensions and refusals near you 0 extensions within 250 m · the last 12 months

No home extensions within 250 m in the last 12 months.

Refused within 100 m 0 in the last 12 months

Nothing refused this close in the last 12 months.

    How we work this out
    Home extensions are read from the application's description (extension, attic or dormer, porch, garage conversion, garden room), so a few may be missed or mislabelled. The kind is the first that fits: a dormer with a rear extension counts as a dormer. Refusal reasons come from An Coimisiún Pleanála's inspector reports, so they exist only where the refusal was appealed (Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown so far). The council's own reasons are on its planning file.
    Sources: National Planning Application Database, An Coimisiún Pleanála cases (ArcGIS feed) · fetched 1 Nov 2026, 05:02
    SourceLicenceFetchedLink
    National Planning Application DatabaseCC BY 4.01 Nov 2026, 05:02open
    An Coimisiún Pleanála cases (ArcGIS feed)CC BY 4.030 Oct 2026, 23:01open
    Sources: An Coimisiún Pleanála cases (ArcGIS feed), Building Control Management System (commencement notices), National Planning Application Database · fetched 1 Nov 2026, 05:02
    SourceLicenceFetchedLink
    An Coimisiún Pleanála cases (ArcGIS feed)CC BY 4.030 Oct 2026, 23:01open
    Building Control Management System (commencement notices)CC BY 4.01 Nov 2026, 03:07open
    National Planning Application DatabaseCC BY 4.01 Nov 2026, 05:02open
    Question 3

    How long, and what if someone objects?

    Figure 4

    A home extension's journey here

    A decision takes 52 days.

    Comments open: 5 weeks · €20; Council decision: 52 days; Appeal window: 4 weeks0 mo3 mo6 mo9 mo12 moComments openComments close 5 weeks after the application is lodged5 weeks · €20Council decisionDecision: median 52 days, middle half 50–54 (n=14)52 daysAppeal windowAnyone who commented can appeal within 4 weeks of the decision4 weeksSigned off100% of owners opt out of sign-off

    Bars are medians; whiskers show the middle half. Medians of separate steps don't add up exactly.

    Calculated16 decided home extensions, 4 start notices · within 1.5 km, 10 years · NPAD, BCMS, An Coimisiún Pleanála

    Figure 5

    What appeals changed

    2 of 4 appealed refusals became permissions.

    Refusals appealed4 decided
    2 became permissions
    Ended approvedEnded refusedWithdrawn, invalid or other

    Every appeal decided within 1.5 km in 10 years, any kind of development.

    CalculatedAn Coimisiún Pleanála cases linked to the council file

    Question 4

    What's changing around you?

    Street map around Headford with 6 numbered planning items
    ⌖ the houseEmpty land zoned for homes
    1. 10.6 ha zoned for homesEmpty land zoned for homes · 37 m
    2. 20.3 ha zoned for homesEmpty land zoned for homes · 48 m
    3. 30.4 ha zoned for homesEmpty land zoned for homes · 64 m
    4. 41.0 ha zoned for homesEmpty land zoned for homes · 100 m
    5. 50.5 ha zoned for homesEmpty land zoned for homes · 126 m
    6. 60.4 ha zoned for homesEmpty land zoned for homes · 126 m
    Figure 6

    What happens to applications within 500 m

    Permission isn't building. Of 14 permissions since 2016, 5 show a start notice and 0 have a completion certificate. Most owners opt out of sign-off.

    17 applications lodged within 500 m. Council: 14 approved, 3 refused. After appeals: 14 approved. Of those: 0 signed off, 4 built with the owner's opt-out, 1 started, 7 with no start notice found, 2 ran out.LODGEDCOUNCIL DECISIONAFTER APPEALSWHAT HAPPENED NEXT14: lodged → approved3: lodged → refused14: approved → approved3: refused → refused7: approved → no start notice found4: approved → built, owner opted out1: approved → started, not signed off2: approved → ran out17 lodged17 lodged14 approved14 approved3 refused3 refused14 approved14 approved3 refused3 refused7 no start notice found7 no start notice found4 built, owner opted out4 built, owner opted out1 started, not signed off1 started, not signed off2 ran out2 ran out

    Purple bands are refusals turned into permissions on appeal. "No start notice found" includes small jobs that never needed one and notices we couldn't match.

    Measured17 applications in 10 years · NPAD, An Coimisiún Pleanála, BCMS start notices and completion certificates

    Figure 7

    The next 30 days

    Nothing closes within 500 m in the next 30 days.

      Measuredcouncil registers and An Coimisiún Pleanála · deadlines worked out from the dates on file

      Sites that could change 10 within 500 m

      Empty land zoned for homes 10

      • 10.6 ha zoned for homes · no homes built on it yet · 37 m
      • 20.3 ha zoned for homes · no homes built on it yet · 48 m
      • 30.4 ha zoned for homes · no homes built on it yet · 64 m
      • 41.0 ha zoned for homes · no homes built on it yet · 100 m
      • 50.5 ha zoned for homes · no homes built on it yet · 126 m
      • 60.4 ha zoned for homes · no homes built on it yet · 126 m
      • 0.1 ha zoned for homes · no homes built on it yet · 141 m
      • 0.2 ha zoned for homes · no homes built on it yet · 142 m
      • 0.1 ha zoned for homes · no homes built on it yet · 182 m
      • 0.5 ha zoned for homes · no homes built on it yet · 0 m

      Not covered here: council land to be sold (Dublin only).

      Sources: An Coimisiún Pleanála cases (ArcGIS feed), Building Control Management System (commencement notices), Derelict sites registers, National Planning Application Database, Residential Zoned Land Tax maps · fetched 1 Nov 2026, 05:02
      SourceLicenceFetchedLink
      An Coimisiún Pleanála cases (ArcGIS feed)CC BY 4.030 Oct 2026, 23:01open
      Building Control Management System (commencement notices)CC BY 4.01 Nov 2026, 03:07open
      Derelict sites registersCC BY 4.026 Oct 2026, 23:09open
      National Planning Application DatabaseCC BY 4.01 Nov 2026, 05:02open
      Residential Zoned Land Tax mapsCC BY 4.025 Oct 2026, 23:43open
      Figure 8

      Applications within 500 m, by year

      Between 2 and 4 a year; busiest 2022. 82% of decisions were approvals.

      2021: 5, 2022: 4, 2023: 2, 2024: 4, 2025: 205102021: 4 approved2021: 1 refused5’21*2022: 3 approved2022: 1 refused4’222023: 2 approved2’232024: 3 approved2024: 1 refused4’242025: 2 approved2’25
      ApprovedRefusedWithdrawn or invalidUndecided

      2021 and 2026 are part years (*). Exemption requests and time extensions are left out.

      Measuredcouncil register via NPAD

      Every application within 500 m 0 in the last 12 months

      See every application on the map

        How we work this out
        Descriptions are shortened by the national planning database (to 80 characters in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, 70 in Fingal), and it does not publish applicants' names.
        Sources: National Planning Application Database, An Coimisiún Pleanála cases (ArcGIS feed), Building Control Management System (commencement notices) · fetched 1 Nov 2026, 05:02
        SourceLicenceFetchedLink
        National Planning Application DatabaseCC BY 4.01 Nov 2026, 05:02open
        An Coimisiún Pleanála cases (ArcGIS feed)CC BY 4.030 Oct 2026, 23:01open
        Building Control Management System (commencement notices)CC BY 4.01 Nov 2026, 03:07open
        Building work nearby 1 in the last 12 months
        1 no sign-off needed
        • High Street, Headford, Galway, H91EN81 · 25 May 2026 · 1 homes · start notice, opted out no sign-off needed · 23/60601 · 478 m
        How we work this out
        Each row is a notice the builder sent to the council's building control office before work started. One notice can cover many homes. 'Signed off as finished' means a completion certificate is on file; work done under an opt-out or a short notice doesn't need one.
        Source: Building Control Management System (commencement notices) · fetched 1 Nov 2026, 03:07
        SourceLicenceFetchedLink
        Building Control Management System (commencement notices)CC BY 4.01 Nov 2026, 03:07open
        0
        Named places nearby: estate, schemes, crèches, schools

        Named places estate, developments, inspections

        Crèches and schools inspected

        NameLatest inspectionDistance
        Coill na nÓg-Claran Community Childcare Company · Crèche10 Oct 2025 · report · Tusla Early Years Inspectorateapprox. 507 m
        Windfort Creche Ltd · Crèche25 Jul 2025 · report · Tusla Early Years Inspectorateapprox. 507 m
        Footsteps Preschool and Childcare Services Limited · Crèche21 Aug 2025 · report · Tusla Early Years Inspectorateapprox. 507 m
        Footsteps Preschool Headford · Crèche13 Feb 2025 · report · Tusla Early Years Inspectorate769 m
        How we work this out
        Organisations only: a person named on an application is never listed. Inspection dates and links are the publisher's; read their report for the findings.
        Sources: Department of Education school list, Tusla early years register · fetched 28 Oct 2026, 23:19
        SourceLicenceFetchedLink
        Department of Education school listCC BY 4.027 Oct 2026, 23:04open
        Tusla early years registerPublic register28 Oct 2026, 23:19open
        How busy is this area Busier than most of Galway County Council.
        Homes approved
        Here82
        Council middle0
        Homes started
        Here167
        Council middle2
        How we work this out
        Homes approved counts schemes of 10 or more homes (one-off houses are not included). Homes started counts every home in a notice that building work was starting. The council figure is the middle value across the council's built-up squares of the same area (3.1 km², about a 1 km circle), so half of them saw more and half fewer.
        Sources: An Coimisiún Pleanála cases (ArcGIS feed), Building Control Management System (commencement notices), National Planning Application Database · fetched 1 Nov 2026, 05:02
        SourceLicenceFetchedLink
        An Coimisiún Pleanála cases (ArcGIS feed)CC BY 4.030 Oct 2026, 23:01open
        Building Control Management System (commencement notices)CC BY 4.01 Nov 2026, 03:07open
        National Planning Application DatabaseCC BY 4.01 Nov 2026, 05:02open
        Question 5

        What's the area like?

        Figure 9

        This street block against the council

        66% owner-occupied (council 75%).

        Homes built before 1971
        24% · council 23%
        Homes built since 2001
        55% · council 39%
        Owner-occupied
        66% · council 75%
        Rented
        24% · council 18%
        Children under 15
        28% · council 21%
        Aged 65 and over
        12% · council 17%
        Households with 2+ cars
        41% · council 52%
        Work mainly from home
        15% · council 11%
        This small area (435 people)Galway

        MeasuredCSO Census 2022, Small Area Population Statistics (CC BY 4.0) · small area 067106006

        Bus
        181 m
        The Square · 435 · busiest stop within 500 m: 0 an hour at peak
        Nearest school
        769 m
        Headford Primary School, 137 pupils
        Schools, stops and the council

        Schools

        • Headford Primary School · primary · 137 pupils · 769 m
        • Presentation College · postprimary · 857 pupils · 784 m

        Stops 9

        • The Square · 435 · 181 m
        • The Square · 435 · 0/hour at peak · 186 m
        • Gortnamona · 435 · 0/hour at peak · 502 m
        • Gortnamona · 435 · 505 m
        • Headford · 422, 438, 456 · 1/hour at peak · 545 m
        • Headford · 435 · 0/hour at peak · 546 m
        • Headford · 422, 435, 438, 456 · 1/hour at peak · 552 m

        Schools growing or shrinking planning in 3 years · pupils last year

        • Headford Primary School · 769 m-0.7% pupils (137)
        • Presentation College · 784 m+1.4% pupils (857)
        Sources: Public transport stops and routes (NTA GTFS), Department of Education school list, National Planning Application Database, Council consultation portals, Council meetings (ModernGov), Land Development Agency public land register, cso_saps_2022, National Transport Authority, Fingal County Council and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council development plan layers (CC BY 4.0), dartplus.ie project extents over NTA GTFS rail shapes (CC BY 4.0), EPA strategic noise maps, Fingal County Council · fetched 1 Nov 2026, 05:02
        SourceLicenceFetchedLink
        Public transport stops and routes (NTA GTFS)CC BY 4.025 Oct 2026, 23:02open
        Department of Education school listCC BY 4.027 Oct 2026, 23:04open
        National Planning Application DatabaseCC BY 4.01 Nov 2026, 05:02open
        Council consultation portalsPublic1 Nov 2026, 01:08open
        Council meetings (ModernGov)Public1 Nov 2026, 02:24open
        Land Development Agency public land registerCC BY 4.011 Sept 2026, 16:43open
        cso_saps_2022CC BY 4.0—open
        National Transport AuthorityCC BY 4.0——
        Fingal County Council and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council development plan layers (CC BY 4.0)CC BY 4.0——
        dartplus.ie project extents over NTA GTFS rail shapes (CC BY 4.0)CC BY 4.0——
        EPA strategic noise mapsCC BY 4.0——
        Fingal County CouncilCC BY 4.0——
        Question 6

        What to ask, and who

        1. On the vacant land tax map: is the 3% tax being paid?
          Ask for: Your solicitor's check of liability or exemption.
          Solicitor
        2. Any work done without planning permission?
          Ask for: An opinion of compliance for the whole house.
          Seller · solicitor
        Reference

        Where this is, the terms, the sources

        Townland
        Gortnamona
        Electoral division
        Headford
        Electoral area
        Tuam
        Council
        Galway County Council
        Everything we found, as a list 8 lines
        • Zoned R2 (existing residential); not protected; on the vacant land tax map.
        • Flood Zone A 30 m away on the Galway County Development Plan 2022-2028 flood map.
        • 10 sites nearby could change: 10 empty zoned plots.
        • The Square (bus 435) 186 m away: 1 a day, fewer than one an hour at morning peak.
        • Here (2022 census): 66% owner-occupied (council 75%); 8% of homes empty (council 16%); most built 2001–2010; 68% drive to work (council 66%); population up 22% since 2016.
        • The council decides in a median 54 days (about 8 weeks); 1 in 3 is asked for more information.
        • Homes started within 1 km: 93 in the last year, 1 three years before.
        • 167 homes started within 1 km in 3 years (council middle 2).
        What the terms mean 5 terms
        • Vacant land tax (Residential Zoned Land Tax (RZLT)): A yearly tax of 3% of the land's value on land that is zoned for homes and serviced but left unbuilt.
        • Building started (Commencement notice (BCMS)): The builder must tell the council's building control office 14 to 28 days before work starts.
        • Signed off as finished (Certificate of Compliance on Completion): A certificate filed when a building is finished, confirming it meets the building regulations.
        • Approved (Grant of permission): The council said yes, usually with conditions.
        • What the land is zoned for (Zoning objective): The council's development plan sets what each area is for: homes, shops, open space and so on.
        Sources and licences 28
        SourcePublisherLicenceFetched
        EPA strategic noise maps—CC BY 4.0—
        Fingal County Council—CC BY 4.0—
        Fingal County Council and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council development plan layers (CC BY 4.0)—CC BY 4.0—
        National Transport Authority—CC BY 4.0—
        services-eu1.arcgis.comAn Coimisiún PleanálaCC BY 4.030 Oct 2026
        data.nbco.gov.ieNational Building Control Office (BCMS)CC BY 4.01 Nov 2026
        data.gov.ieVarious (see each layer)CC BY 4.0, CC BY-NC-ND 4.027 Sept 2026
        services-eu1.arcgis.comNational Inventory of Architectural HeritageCC BY 4.027 Sept 2026
        services-eu1.arcgis.comNational Monuments Service (SMR)CC BY 4.027 Sept 2026
        dlrcoco.citizenspace.comLocal authorities (consultation portals)Public1 Nov 2026
        www2.courts.ie—© the publisher31 Oct 2026
        cso.ie—CC BY 4.0—
        dartplus.ie project extents over NTA GTFS rail shapes (CC BY 4.0)—CC BY 4.0—
        services-eu1.arcgis.comLocal authorities (derelict sites registers)CC BY 4.026 Oct 2026
        data.epa.ieEnvironmental Protection Agency (LEAP licence register)CC BY 4.026 Oct 2026
        services1.arcgis.com—CC BY 4.0—
        transportforireland.ieNational Transport AuthorityCC BY 4.025 Oct 2026
        lda.ieLand Development AgencyCC BY 4.011 Sept 2026
        meetings.fingal.ieLocal authorities (council meetings)Public1 Nov 2026
        services.arcgis.comDepartment of Housing (National Planning Application Database)CC BY 4.01 Nov 2026
        services-eu1.arcgis.comTailte ÉireannCC BY 4.011 Sept 2026
        services-eu1.arcgis.comCSO, Tailte Éireann, OpenStreetMap contributorsCC BY 4.04 Oct 2026
        propertypriceregister.ieProperty Services Regulatory Authority (PPR)© PSRA, PSI licence1 Nov 2026
        services.arcgis.comLocal authorities (RZLT maps)CC BY 4.025 Oct 2026
        gov.ieDepartment of EducationCC BY 4.027 Oct 2026
        gov.ieDepartment of HousingCC BY-SA 4.023 Oct 2026
        tusla.ieTusla (Early Years Inspectorate)Public register28 Oct 2026
        services.arcgis.comLocal authorities via the Department of Housing (GZT / MyPlan)CC BY 4.025 Oct 2026
        Measured
        counted from a public register
        Calculated
        a rate or median we worked out from those counts
        Our classification
        we sorted it by reading each description
        Estimate
        inferred from another source (census, map data)
        Rule summary
        the law, simplified: check before relying on it
        How we work this out
        Generated 1 Nov 2026, 14:30 from the Planning Register store; nothing was fetched live. Not a legal search: the council's planning file is the record. Deadlines come from published dates under the Planning and Development Act 2000: confirm with the council before relying on them. Street map © OpenStreetMap contributors; building outlines © Overture Maps Foundation. The text version carries every figure with its source, for an AI assistant.