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Planning applications drop by 11% in Northern Ireland
The number of planning applications received in Northern Ireland dropped by 11% in the past year, according to newly published government data.
According to the annual Northern Ireland planning statistics bulletin, published by the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) this month, 10,025 planning applications were received during 2023-24, compared with 11,217 the previous financial year.
The applications were made up of 9,870 local, 154 major and one regionally significant application.
The percentage decrease is smaller than the previous year. Between 2021-22 and 2022-23, the number of planning applications received by councils dropped by 18%.
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The bulletin, which covers the period between April 2023 and March 2024, provides an overall view of planning activity in Northern Ireland and a summary of council performance across statutory targets.
A total of 9,734 planning applications were decided during the past financial year, a decrease of 10% from 2022-23. Decisions were issued on 9,595 local and 139 major applications.
The average processing time for local applications brought to a decision or withdrawal during 2023-24 was 20.8 weeks across all councils.
This exceeds the 15-week target and represents an increase of 1.8 weeks from the same period a year earlier.
Three of the 11 councils met the 15-week target in 2023-24.
The average processing time for major applications brought to a decision or withdrawal was 46.5 weeks across all councils.
“While exceeding the 30-week target, this represents a decrease of 11.3 weeks compared with the same period a year earlier.
“Three of the 11 councils met the 30-week target in 2023-24,” the DfC said.
In January, the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry published a report outlining recommendations on reforming the planning system, which it said could speed up the country’s progress towards net zero, facilitate economic growth and deliver affordable housing.
The recommendations include an overall focus on ensuring that the entire system is properly resourced, from the Department for Infrastructure to councils, statutory consultees and the Planning Appeals Commission.
The report also proposed that planning authorities should be allowed to assume consent if statutory consultees do not respond within the deadlines set, while the performance of statutory consultees and planning authorities should be incentivised and controlled more effectively.
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