Slurry Storage and Animal Housing - Changes to Planning Exemptions

Ireland has just introduced new planning exemptions that make life easier for farmers by allowing certain farm structures to be built without full planning permission, reducing red tape, cost and delay. These changes are part of updated Exempted Development Regulations signed into law in December 2025, after not having been substantially updated for about 25 years.

Here’s what the new planning exemptions mean for farmers:

🐄 1. Larger Animal Housing Permitted Without Full Planning

• The size threshold for animal housing that can be built without full planning permission has been increased by 50%.➤ A single housing structure can now be up to 300 m² (up from 200 m²).➤ The total exempted animal housing per farm can now be up to 450 m² (up from 300 m²).

• This applies to most typical cattle sheds and other animal housing, subject to the other exemption conditions (location, proximity to boundaries, etc.).

💧 2. First-Ever Exemption for Stand-Alone Slurry Storage

• For the first time, farmers can build stand-alone slurry storage tanks without planning permission, up to 1,000 m³.

• There’s a total farm storage cap of 1,500 m³ (including existing storage).

• This is a major change aimed at helping farmers improve nutrient management and comply with environmental requirements without planning delays.

📏 3. Conditions Still Apply

Though these builds are exempt from full planning, they still must meet:

• Building regulations (structural safety, fire, etc.).

• Environmental protections (e.g., proximity to watercourses, appropriate assessment).

• Other agricultural and health/safety standards.If a project does trigger an environmental impact assessment (EIA) or appropriate assessment requirement, full planning permission will still be required.

🌱 Why These Changes Matter

• Cuts red tape: Fewer planning applications mean farmers can invest faster and at lower cost.

• Environmental benefit: More slurry storage and better animal housing supports water-quality compliance and animal welfare.

• Supports farm sustainability: Exemptions align with goals for efficient nutrient management and maintaining nitrates derogation standards.

✅ Stand-alone slurry storage tank — up to 1,000 m³ can be constructed under the new exemption.

📌 This is subject to the total farm’s slurry storage capacity not exceeding 1,500 m³ (including existing storage).

So in practice:

➡ You can build a new slurry tank up to 1,000 cubic metres without planning permission under this exemption.

⚠️ Remember:

• The exemption is 1,000 m³ per stand-alone tank

• 1,500 m³ (≈330,000 gallons) is the total farm storage cap under exemption

• Size depends on length × width × depth, not number of bays