Browne brings emergency legislation to prevent lapsing planning permissions 

housing minister James Browne will also seek to make a change that will allow developers with just two years left on their permission to apply for an extension for up to three years. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA

Housing Minister James Browne is to bring emergency legislation to Cabinet on Tuesday to prevent planning permissions lapsing if they were held up by judicial reviews.

The Government will make two major changes to planning laws in a bid to see developments such as large-scale apartment schemes, whose permission might otherwise expire, proceed.

The legislation, which has been worked on by Mr Browne and junior housing minister John Cummins, seeks to avoid what sources said were "thousands" of planning permissions lapsing.

Under the first provision, part of the new Planning and Development Act 2024 will be brought forward so that holders of all permissions that have gone through a judicial review can apply for a retrospective suspension of the period of time their permission was held up. At present, the time that a planning permission is valid does not stop while the permission is subject to a judicial review — which in some cases can take years.

Mr Browne will also seek to make a change that will allow developers with just two years left on their permission to apply for an extension for up to three years. 

However, these applications must be made within six months of the law commencing and development must begin within 18 months.