Donegal County Council has granted conditional planning permission for a proposed touring caravan and campervan site with 26 pitches in Bundoran, County Donegal, Ireland, following revisions to an original application for a larger development.
The proposed facility will be located on land off the R267 in the western part of Bundoran. Plans include 26 touring caravan and campervan pitches, a shower and toilet block connected to the main sewer, and associated site works. The development is intended to provide serviced accommodation for visitors traveling with recreational vehicles and touring caravans.
The planning application was submitted in November 2025 and initially proposed 41 pitches. The number was subsequently reduced to 26 to comply with the applicable camping and caravan standards. The revised proposal received permission subject to four conditions imposed by the local authority.
One of the conditions requires the applicant or beneficiary of the planning permission to contribute €42,403.65 toward public infrastructure and facilities in the planning authority’s area that have already been provided or are intended to be provided by Donegal County Council.
Supporting documentation prepared by James McLaughlin of October House Designs Ltd on behalf of applicant Patrick Heaney outlined the site’s planning designation and existing access arrangements. According to IrelandLive, McLaughlin wrote: “On foot of consultations undertaken on the Bundoran Town Plan, the lands have been zoned as being suitable for use as a Caravan Park in the current County Development Plan.
“The site is served by a well-established entrance served by the main town footpath system and enjoys existing vision lines suitable for the proposed development.”
The application documentation also highlighted what the applicant described as a longstanding shortage of facilities for visitors traveling with campervans and touring caravans in Bundoran. McLaughlin concluded: “The urgent need of such a facility in Bundoran, as has been frequently highlighted over the past number of years in the media.
“This summer we have had the usual appeals for the development of a serviced site for tourist campervans/touring caravans, and my client has actively been trying to fill that need for the last number of years.”
The site has previously been considered for residential development. In 2004, Donegal County Council granted conditional planning permission for the construction of 14 houses on the land now proposed for the caravan and campervan park.
The latest decision reflects a change in the proposed use of the property, with the revised application focused on visitor accommodation rather than housing. The site’s designation for caravan park use under the current County Development Plan provides a planning basis for the proposal, although the permission remains subject to the council’s conditions.
For campground and RV park operators, the project highlights the role of local planning policies, infrastructure contributions, and compliance with site standards in bringing new facilities forward. The reduction from 41 to 26 pitches also illustrates how regulatory requirements can affect the scale and potential capacity of a proposed development. If delivered, the Bundoran site would add a dedicated option for touring caravan and campervan visitors in a destination where the applicant says demand for serviced facilities has been raised repeatedly.
