An independent national review has praised the online pre-planning service at Galway County Council, highlighting the county’s digital pre-planning enquiry system as an example of good practice within Ireland’s planning system.
The review was carried out by the Office of the Planning Regulator as part of its national programme examining how planning authorities deliver planning services across the country.
Among the initiatives highlighted in the review is Galway County Council’s online pre-planning enquiry system, which allows prospective applicants to generate a site-specific planning report before making a formal planning application.
The system enables users to identify a site on an interactive map and instantly receive planning information relating to zoning, flood risk, environmental designations and other key planning considerations.
By providing structured information at an early stage, the system helps applicants better understand planning policies before progressing with a development proposal.
Planning experts say early access to planning information can help improve the quality of planning applications while making pre-planning consultations with local authorities more focused and productive.
The recognition of Galway’s digital pre-planning system reflects a growing shift within Ireland’s planning system toward digital tools that support early engagement and improve access to planning information.
A detailed explanation of how the system works and why it was highlighted in the review has been published in a new article by PrePlanning.ie.
“Providing clear planning information at the earliest stage helps applicants make more informed decisions and improves the overall efficiency of the planning system.”
“Galway County Council’s digital pre-planning service demonstrates how local authorities can use simple technology to make planning information more accessible to the public while supporting planners in managing enquiries more effectively.”
The publication marks the tenth local authority planning review carried out by the Office of the Planning Regulator as part of its national oversight programme, which identifies examples of good practice and innovation within planning authorities across Ireland.
