Drone survey data and Irish planning applications
Planning applications in Ireland need topographical surveys, site layouts, sections, and often visual impact assessments. Drone surveys can provide all of this, usually faster and more completely than a traditional ground survey. But the data has to meet specific format and accuracy requirements for local authority planning departments and An Bord Planeala to accept it.
Here’s what you need to know.
What planning authorities expect
Coordinate reference system
Survey data in planning submissions should be in Irish Transverse Mercator (ITM) on the IRENET95 datum, per OSi standards. Heights should reference Malin Head Ordnance Datum unless specified otherwise. That’s our default on every survey we deliver.
Drawing formats
Planning submissions typically need drawings in:
- .DWG / .DXF: AutoCAD format – the most widely accepted for engineering drawings. Site plans, sections, and contour drawings in DWG.
- .PDF: Plan drawings at specified scales (1:500, 1:1000, 1:2500 are common)
- .TIFF / .JPEG: Aerial photography and orthomosaics as supporting documentation
Accuracy
Irish planning legislation doesn’t specify a numerical accuracy standard for surveys. The expectation is “fit for purpose.” In practice:
- Boundary surveys must be accurate enough to show compliance with setback distances and zoning
- Levels and contours must support flood risk assessment, drainage design, and visual impact work
- Features – buildings, roads, trees, watercourses, utilities – must be accurately located
A standard drone survey with GCPs at plus or minus 3 to 5 cm vertical accuracy comfortably exceeds what’s needed for planning. See our accuracy breakdown.
What drone data supports in a planning application
Site layout plans
A drone orthomosaic gives you a current, accurate base map for site layout drawings. Unlike OSi mapping, which can be years out of date, a drone survey shows the site as it is today – recent construction, vegetation changes, informal access routes, the lot.
Cross-sections and long sections
For road access design, site levels, and infrastructure routing, sections extracted from drone DTMs provide the engineering detail for submissions. You can extract sections at any chainage or orientation from the 3D model without going back to site.
Visual impact assessment
Drone photography and 3D site models support visual impact work by providing accurate existing-condition imagery from verified viewpoints. Combined with photomontage, proposed developments can be shown in their real landscape context. This comes up a lot on wind farm, solar farm, and large residential applications in sensitive areas.
Flood risk assessment
OPW Guidelines require site-specific flood risk assessment for developments near flood zones. Drone survey DTMs provide the detailed site topography needed to assess flood extents, flow paths, and finished floor level requirements. The data goes straight into hydraulic modelling software – MIKE, HEC-RAS, whatever the hydrologist uses.
Environmental impact assessment
For EIA projects, drone data supports multiple chapters: landscape and visual, land and soils (topography, earthworks), water (drainage, flood risk), and biodiversity (habitat mapping from aerial imagery). Forestry surveys and coastal monitoring feed into environmental chapters too.
What we deliver for planning projects
- Topographical survey drawing (.DWG) at agreed scale with contours, spot levels, and features
- Georeferenced orthomosaic (.TIFF) for base mapping
- Digital Terrain Model for sections and earthworks design
- Survey report documenting methodology, accuracy, and datum
- Scaled PDF plans at planning submission scales
All in ITM with Malin Head heights, ready to submit. We also supply data in Civil 3D and TBC formats for the design team.
Part 8 and pre-planning
For local authority Part 8 projects and Strategic Housing Development applications, the survey data requirements are the same but submission routes differ. We deliver data for both standard planning and Part 8 processes routinely.
Need survey data for a planning application? Send us the site location and project type and we’ll confirm the right survey spec and quote. Or browse our full range of services.