Final planning approval granted for aircraft engineering development in Tipperary

Apex Aviation project in Nenagh has been cleared after appeals process

Final planning permission was granted to Apex Aviation Ltd this month by An Coimisiún Pleanála for its aircraft engine maintenance facility, storage facilities and warehouses at Lisboney Business Park, Nenagh.

The decision follows third-party appeals made to the commission after the business secured initial planning permission from Tipperary County Council in late 2025.

The approved plans on the six-hectare site in Nenagh will allow for the expansion of Apex Aviation Ltd's business in the town where it already has operations at the former Procter & Gamble/Coty site at Gortlandroe, as well as further sites in Shannon and Birdhill.

The business provides maintenance services for Airbus and Boeing aircraft, and the new facilities at Lisboney will consist of an aircraft engine maintenance building and aircraft engine storage facility, both with associated office space, along with three detached warehouse buildings, among other works.

A number of the buildings will be offered to the aviation industry, in particular to companies that will complement Apex and/or its current customers for expansion purposes. The site will also have a logistics function, allowing for the shipping of aircraft components.

The appeals to An Coimisiún Pleanála were made on a number of grounds, including claims that Tipperary County Council had a “conflict of interest” due to the fact that the council owned the land on which the development would be built.

However, following its further inspection, An Coimisiún Pleanála stated:

“Having regard to the land use zoning of the subject site, the provisions of the Nenagh and Environs Local Area Plan 2024-2030, the provisions of the Tipperary County Development Plan 2022-2028, the design, scale and layout of the proposed development, and the pattern of the existing development in the surrounding area, it is considered that subject to compliance with the conditions set out below, the proposed development would provide for an appropriate form of development at this zoned employment location, would be acceptable in terms of pedestrian and traffic safety, would not adversely affect any Natura sites, would be acceptable in terms of visual impact and design, and would be acceptable in terms of water supply and surface water. The proposed development would, therefore, be in accordance with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.”

Planning permission was granted by An Coimisiún Pleanála on June 2, 2026.