Meath County Council planning applications: how to search, apply and track

Meath County Council lists its applications on ePlan, publishes one list a week, and runs pre planning consultations twice a month by phone or Teams. This guide shows where each thing lives and what the Meath County Development Plan says about extensions and dormers.

Meath County Council notes that the Planning and Development Act 2024 is being commenced in phases, so check the council's current application form before you lodge.

How to search Meath County Council planning applications on ePlan

Search on ePlan by file reference, address, description or map, or browse the lists of applications received, decision due and decided.

The council's view or search planning applications page links to ePlan for Meath and a mapped register at myplan.ie. Because of data protection restrictions, the full contents of some applications are not available online.

• Files from 1972 to 1980 are held in the archives. A €30 fee may apply, and copies are emailed within 3 working days.
• Extended timelines from the COVID period are not reflected in the online records.
• The council also publishes a list of planning decisions due, by area.

Meath weekly planning list

One combined list a week, Monday to Sunday, as a PDF: received, granted, refused, invalid, further information and appeals.

The weekly planning permissions list is updated once a week, with a page for each year back to 2022.

Making a planning application to Meath County Council

Online through planning.localgov.ie, or on paper with 6 copies of each map and drawing, within 14 days of the newspaper notice.

• The council's how to apply page covers both routes.
• Paper applications go to the Planning Department, Buvinda House, Dublin Road, Navan, Co. Meath, C15 Y291.
• The council's planning information leaflets include A Guide to Doing Work Around the House.

Pre planning consultations with Meath County Council

Free, generally held every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month by phone or Microsoft Teams.

Request one through the council's online customer portal, or post the request form to the Planning Department in Navan. You need the form, a Land Registry compliant map or a 1:2500 Ordnance Survey map with the site outlined in red, and proof of your legal interest or the owner's consent. The council keeps a written record that goes on any later planning file, and says the advice cannot be relied on in the formal planning process. Details are on the before you apply page.

Meath County Development Plan: extensions in Navan, Ashbourne, Ratoath and Trim

The Meath County Development Plan 2021 to 2027, as varied, took effect on 3 November 2021. Chapter 11 sets the standards for extensions and dormers.

The development plan has five variations, the latest made on 8 June 2026, and a new plan for 2027 to 2033 is in preparation. Chapter 11 says:

• Dormer extensions shall not obscure the main features of the existing roof.
• Extensions which break the existing front building line will not normally be acceptable.
• A family flat shall form an integral part of the structure of the main house.

Meath no longer has separate local area plans: the council says they have all been replaced by a written statement and zoning map for each town in Volume 2 of the county plan, including Navan, Ashbourne, Ratoath, Trim, and Dunboyne, Clonee and Pace. A joint plan for Drogheda's southern environs is being prepared with Louth.

Protected structures and conservation areas in Meath

To check whether your house is a protected structure, use the council's interactive map or email conservation@meathcoco.ie with the Eircode.

The protected structures page explains how. There are 23 architectural conservation areas in Meath, including Navan Historic Core, Trim Historic Core and Dunboyne; the full list is on the council's site. Planning permission is required for all works that affect the character of a protected structure.

Contacting Meath County Council planning

• Email: planning@meathcoco.ie
• Phone: 046 909 7000 (the council's main line)
• Planning Department, Buvinda House, Dublin Road, Navan, C15 Y291, Monday to Friday 9am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm

Meath County Council warns that using planning applicants' personal details, including for marketing, may be unlawful and may lead to prosecution by the Data Protection Commission. We never collect or use them.

Kitchen, window and wardrobe fit out for extensions in Navan, Ashbourne, Ratoath, Trim and Dunboyne

Once the extension is built, we design, supply and fit the kitchen, windows, wardrobes and fitted furniture, made to measure and fitted by our own team. See kitchens in Meath and kitchens in Navan.

Photos of our own work are kitchens Stephen's team fitted in Dublin, and every caption says so; anything else is labelled a design visual; we will not describe them as Meath jobs. Rated 5.0 on Google, 7 reviews. If your drawings are ready, the free plan check gets the fit out priced from them by our team.

For the rules that apply everywhere, see when an extension needs planning permission, the planning process step by step and what an extension costs.

Meath planning questions

How long does Meath take to decide a planning application?

The law gives every council, Meath County Council included, 8 weeks from receiving a valid application to decide, unless it asks for further information. Add 4 weeks after the decision for the appeal period before permission is granted.

How do I see a neighbour's planning application in Meath?

Search ePlan for Meath by address or on the map, or check the weekly planning list. You have 5 weeks from the day the council receives an application to make a submission, for €20, through planning.localgov.ie.

Can I get pre planning advice from Meath County Council?

Yes. Meath runs free pre planning consultations, generally every 2nd and 4th Tuesday by phone or Teams. Request one on the council's customer portal or by post, with a map and proof of your interest in the site.

How much does a planning application cost in Meath?

The fee for a house extension is €34, set nationally, so it is the same in every county. A submission on someone else's application is €20, and an appeal to An Coimisiún Pleanála is €220. The drawings and professional time cost far more than the fees.

Do you fit kitchens, windows and wardrobes in Meath?

Yes, across Meath, including Navan, Ashbourne, Ratoath and Trim. Send the drawings for a free plan check and you get a free 3D design and itemised quote for the kitchen, windows, wardrobes and anything else you tick.