New council development levies are out for public consultation

Donegal County Council has announced the publication of its draft ‘Development Contribution Scheme’ for 2025-30, setting out new charges to be applied to planning permissions across the county.

The scheme, which replaces the previous 2016-2021 framework, outlines how much homeowers and developers will contribute financially to local infrastructure and services when undertaking new projects.

Under the Planning and Development Act 2000, councils are empowered to levy contributions on developments to offset the cost of public facilities.

The draft scheme, now open for public consultation, details charges across a wide range of categories, from housing and commercial projects to renewable energy and tourism facilities.

Among the headline figures are:

- Permanent dwellings: €3,000 for homes under 150m², rising to €6,500 for houses over 200m².

- Holiday homes and short-let accommodation: €20,000 per unit.

- Commercial, industrial, retail and office space: €26.23 per square metre.

- Parking spaces: €3,500 each.

- Quarrying and mining: €2,000 per 0.1 hectare, subject to a minimum of €13,300.

- Renewable energy projects: €2,660 per 0.1MW generated, with no waivers for developments primarily supplying energy off-site.

- Bed & Breakfasts, guesthouses and hotels: No charge for the first four bedrooms, then €665 per additional room.

Other categories include charges for car washes, advertisements, golf courses, agricultural buildings, intensive farming, domestic extensions, and sheds. Notably, domestic sheds and garages up to 60m² will be exempt, with charges applying only beyond that threshold.

Retention permissions will attract a surcharge of 50 percent above the normal rate, reflecting the council’s policy of discouraging unauthorised development.

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The draft scheme is available for inspection until 12 January 2026. Copies can be viewed online at consult.donegal.ie, at council offices in Lifford, Letterkenny, Milford, Dungloe, Carndonagh, and Donegal Town, as well as at local libraries during opening hours.

Written submissions or observations are invited during this period. They may be lodged via the consultation portal, emailed to [email protected], or posted to the Central Planning Unit at County House, Lifford. The deadline for submissions is 4.30pm on 12 January 2026.

All submissions will be published on the council’s website, with personal details redacted.

Once the consultation closes, the council will consider all feedback before finalising the scheme. The adopted DCS will then apply to all planning permissions granted in Donegal up to 2030, shaping the financial obligations of developers and ensuring contributions toward community infrastructure.