55.—(1) On an application made to a council or the Department, the planning permission which may be granted includes planning permission for development carried out before the date of the application.
(2) Subsection (1) applies to development carried out—
(a)without planning permission;
(b)in accordance with planning permission granted for a limited period; or
(c)without complying with some condition subject to which planning permission was granted.
(3) Planning permission for such development may be granted as to have effect from—
(a)the date on which the development was carried out; or
(b)if it was carried out in accordance with planning permission granted for a limited period, the end of that period.