Planning glossary
How Irish planning works.
Plain-English explainers for the planning terms that appear in Irish project leads, appeals, tenders and building-control records.
Large-scale Residential Development (LRD)
An LRD is the Irish planning route for larger residential schemes handled by local authorities with appeal access to An Coimisiún Pleanála.
Strategic Housing Development (SHD)
SHD was the older fast-track route for major housing schemes. Many older ACP records still use SHD language, so it remains useful when reading historic appeals and decisions.
Part 8 Local Authority Development
Part 8 is the process local authorities use for their own public works, civic buildings, housing, roads and amenity projects.
Commencement Notice
A commencement notice is the building-control notification made before many works begin. PlanningBrief's detailed BCMS dataset is historical, so current notices need source verification.
Exempted Development
Exempted development is work that may not need planning permission if it stays within legal limits and conditions. Always verify against the local authority or professional advice.
Section 5 Declaration
A Section 5 declaration asks a planning authority whether a proposal is or is not development, or is or is not exempted development.
An Coimisiún Pleanála Appeal
An ACP appeal can change, confirm or overturn a local-authority decision. These cases matter to architects, planners, solicitors, consultants and investors.