A Tipperary couple has submitted a new planning application for a three-pod glamping development in Ardfinnan after Tipperary County Council deemed their previous application invalid because of an issue with the site notice.
Brian and Jennifer Condon are seeking permission to establish the glamping site at Knockballiniry, Ardfinnan, County Tipperary, Ireland. The proposal includes three glamping pods, along with an amenity area featuring a shower room and drying area attached to an existing agricultural building.
The application also includes three parking spaces, bicycle parking, and a revised site entrance.
The Condons’ original planning application was deemed invalid following an inspection of the site on August 7, 2026. According to Tipperary County Council, the site notice displayed at the property related to an earlier planning application rather than the proposal then under consideration.
“On inspection of the land to which the application relates on the August 7, 2026, it was noted that the site notice in place related to a previous application on site,” the council said.
“The application therefore does not comply with the provisions of articles 17 and 19 of the Planning and Development Regulation 2001, as amended, as it does not adequately inform the public of the works proposed,” they added.
The Condons have since lodged a new application covering the proposed glamping development.
The previous proposal received support from Knockmealdown Active, a cross-community initiative focused on promoting the Knockmealdown Mountains and the area’s tourism opportunities. In a letter to the local authority, the organization said the development could help address limited tourist accommodation in the area.
“Time and again, we have come across the lack of accommodation being highlighted by visitors coming to this area,” the group said.
Knockmealdown Active pointed to the St Declan’s Way walking route as an example of the accommodation challenge. Stage three of the route begins in Goatenbridge and finishes at Mount Melleray, with the group saying some visitors have had to arrange accommodation in Dungarvan or farther away.
“The proposal for accommodation pods, virtually next door to the new trailhead in Knockballiniry, has been met with great approval from our group,” the organization told the Irish Independent.
“Reasonably priced accommodation will help keep visitors longer in the area, and their spend will help all businesses in the wider local area,” Knockmealdown Active said.
For outdoor hospitality operators and prospective developers, the application also highlights the importance of complying with planning notification requirements before an application can be assessed on its merits. In this case, the council’s concern was not identified as an objection to the proposed glamping use itself, but as a procedural issue involving public notification.
The new application will now go through the local planning process. Tipperary County Council is due to make a decision on the proposal by November 3, 2026.
