Planning Permission Extensions Activated Amid 40,000 Unstarted Dublin Housing Units

Several recent planning permission issues have surfaced across various developments, highlighting challenges with legal and procedural compliance. Ireland's new Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2025 now allows extensions for uncommenced housing developments affected by judicial reviews, aiming to prevent delays in housing delivery by excluding judicial review time from permission durations. In England, questions have arisen over the demolition of Stanford-le-Hope Station without rail company consent, with ongoing efforts to redesign the project amid cost concerns. Cheshire East Council deferred a decision on a planning variation at the Watkin Jones development due to concerns that breaches of pre-commencement conditions might have invalidated the original permission, raising legal uncertainties. Edinburgh faces community objections after construction started on a major Fringe venue, the Famous Spiegeltent, without prior planning permission, prompting concerns about planning integrity and the impact on heritage and public spaces. These cases collectively underscore the complexities and disputes surrounding planning permissions and development approvals in the UK and Ireland.