4/4/2013: Irish Planning Permissions 2012 data

Per data released on March 22 by CSO, Irish Planning Permissions for Construction have continued to collapse in 2012. Full year data shows that:

• In 2012 total number of all types of planning permissions issued in the state stood at 14,407 - an all-time record low (with records starting in 1992), down 9.91% on 2011. 2010-2011 rate of contraction was 15.11% and 2009-2010 rate of decline was 27.64%, so naturally for such steep drops in previous years, the rate of annual declines is moderating. 
• From the pre-crisis peak, number of planning permissions is now down 76.90%
• Planning permissions for dwellings fell to 3,643 in 2012, down 23.58%, having fallen 24.89% in 2010-2011 and 38.85% in 2009-2010. Compared to peak, the permissions are down 86.76% to a new historical low.
• Planning permissions for other new construction rose in 2012 to 3,407 from 2,964 in 2011, a rate of increase of 14.95% y/y that follows declines of 7.52% in 2010-2011 and 29.01% in 2009-2010. Relative to peak, 2012 level of permissions for other new construction are down 82.4% against absolute minimum reached in 2011 when these were down 84.72% relative to peak.

In square footage terms, planning permissions issued

• Fell 21.56% y/y for all types of new construction (these are now down 86.67% on peak, hitting a new historical low);
• Fell 39.48% y/y for dwellings (these are now down 90.89% on peak, hitting a new historical low);
• Fell 7.44% y/y for other types of new construction (these are now down 86.78% on peak, hitting new historical low);
• Rose 0.52% for extensions (these are now down 68.87% on peak, having hit the bottom at -73.41% on the peak in 2011).

At certain point in time (soon, one assumes given the rates of decline on peak already delivered), a broom shed construction somewhere in West Meath will qualify as an uplift in the market....