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Sightlines and site entrances in Ireland: what the council looks for
For a rural site, the entrance is one of the most common reasons planning is refused. The council needs to see that a
driver leaving the site can see far enough along the road in both directions, and be seen, to pull out safely. These
sightlines (visibility splays) depend on the road's speed, and achieving them can mean removing hedges,
sometimes on land you don't own.
How InSite helps
- Sightlines can't be measured from public data: they need a visit and a tape.
- The boundary map shows which neighbouring parcels the road frontage runs past, which tells you whose hedges may be in the splay.
- Once you confirm the plot, the 3D terrain view shows the rise and fall of the road along the site's frontage, a first hint of a crest that could block the view.
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What's measured
- The set-back (x-distance): how far back from the road edge the driver's eye is measured, usually a
few metres back along the centre of the entrance.
- The sight distance (y-distance): how far along the road the driver must be able to see, in each
direction, to the near edge of the road. The faster the traffic, the longer it needs to be.
- The splay: the triangle between those points, which must be kept clear of anything that blocks
the view, such as hedges, walls, banks and signs, above a low height.
The figures required are set in each council's development plan, often based on Transport Infrastructure Ireland's
road design standards for rural roads and the Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets (DMURS) in towns. Some
councils accept figures based on measured traffic speeds rather than the speed limit.
Common problems
- A bend or crest in the road that cuts the view, which no hedge-cutting fixes.
- Hedges or walls on a neighbour's land inside the splay. You'll need their written consent, and
usually a legal agreement, to remove and keep them clear.
- National roads, where new accesses are tightly restricted.
- Gradient: a steep entrance or road can need a level area at the gate.
Checking a site before you buy
- Stand where the entrance would go, at the set-back, at a car driver's eye height, and look both ways.
- Find the required sight distances in the council's development plan for that road type and speed.
- Check who owns the hedges and banks in the splay: see the folio and
boundary map.
- If it's tight, get an engineer or architect to measure it, and raise it at a
pre-planning meeting.
Last reviewed 2026-10-02.
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Related guides
- Folios and filed plansWhat a Land Registry folio records, how to read its three parts and the filed plan, and where to get a copy.
- CurtilageWhat curtilage means, why it matters for exempted development and protected structures, and why it isn't drawn on any map.
- Exempted developmentThe current limits for sheds, garden rooms and extensions, what takes the exemption away, and how to get a section 5 declaration.
- Appropriate AssessmentHow AA screening works, when a Natura Impact Statement is needed, and why a site far from an SAC can still be affected.
- Site-specific flood risk assessmentsWhen a council asks for a site-specific flood risk assessment, what it contains, and how it relates to Flood Zones A, B and C.
- Further information requestsWhat a further information request means for your application, the deadline to reply, and when the public can comment again.
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