In my view, two of today's stories say a good deal about where Irish planning is heading.
The end of turnkey acquisitions, announced by the Department of Housing (https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/press-releases/minister-browne-announces-end-to-turnkey-acquisitions-for-social-housing/), is a significant shift. After 31 December 2027, councils and Approved Housing Bodies will no longer be able to apply for funding to buy completed schemes. Instead they will rely on their own build programmes and on partnerships with the Land Development Agency. In principle, this gives public bodies more say over the mix and design of homes from the outset. In practice, it puts real pressure on council planning, architecture and procurement teams, many of which are already stretched. Developers who have relied on turnkey deals to fund schemes will need to engage earlier, as the Department intends, or rethink viability.
The Irish Times (https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026/10/20/contentious-data-centres-plan-in-co-waterford-is-refused-planning-permission/) reports that Waterford City and County Council has refused permission for the Kilmeaden data centre campus. That refusal is equally instructive. The reasons included a failure to demonstrate existing grid capacity and a lack of significant onsite renewable energy, as well as concerns over wastewater, flood risk and village character. For applicants, the message seems clear: energy supply and servicing need to be shown at application stage, not left to conditions or future upgrades.
Both stories point the same way. Planning outcomes increasingly depend on infrastructure and delivery capacity, not just land use. These are my own views, offered for discussion.
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