These data provide an overall view of planning activity. Alongside this there is a summary of council performance across the three statutory targets for major development applications, local development applications and enforcement cases as laid out in the Local Government (Performance Indicators and Standards) Order (Northern Ireland) 2015.
The publication is available on the Department for Infrastructure website at:
The key points from the Northern Ireland Planning Statistics Second Quarter 2017/18 Statistical Bulletin are:
- There were 3,249 planning applications received during July to September 2017 (Q2), down almost 2% on the previous quarter (3,312) but up by nearly 7% on the same period a year earlier. This comprised 3,212 local and 37 major development applications.
During the second quarter of 2017/18, 3,101 planning applications were decided, a decrease of over 6% when compared to the previous quarter and a fall of over 7% when compared to the same period a year earlier.
- The average processing time for major applications during the first six months of 2017/18 was 55 weeks across all councils; an improvement of 15 weeks from the 70 weeks reported for the first six months of 2016/17. This is 25 weeks longer than the statutory processing time target of 30 weeks, although it is still a relatively early stage in the year.
- The number of local planning applications received was 3,212, similar to the number received in the previous quarter (3,272) but up by nearly 7% on same period a year earlier. Across councils, Belfast City (511), Newry, Mourne and Down (411) and Mid Ulster (371) received the highest number of local planning applications during Q2.
- In the first six months of 2017/18 it took, on average, 16 weeks across councils to process local applications to decision or withdrawal which was similar to the same period last year. Five of the eleven councils were within the 15 week target during the first six months of 2017/18. The shortest average processing time for local applications across councils was just below 10 weeks in Mid and East Antrim, whilst the longest was nearly 23 weeks in Lisburn and Castlereagh.
- The number of enforcement cases opened during Q2 was 857, an increase of 2% over the previous quarter and a decrease of 2% when compared to the same period a year earlier. Across the councils, Antrim and Newtownabbey (111), Newry, Mourne and Down (106) and Causeway Coast and Glens (103) opened the largest number of cases in Q2.
- Three quarters of enforcement cases were concluded within 39 weeks. This was 5 percentage points above the statutory target and over 6 percentage points lower than the equivalent quarter last year. Seven of the eleven councils are on track to meet the target with performance ranging from a high of 94% concluded within 39 weeks in Antrim and Newtownabbey to 51% in Newry, Mourne and Down.
- The approval rate for all planning applications for the quarter was nearly 94%, similar to the rates for the previous quarter and a year earlier. Second quarter approval rates varied across councils from 88% to 98%.
Notes to editors:
Background to Northern Ireland Planning Statistics Second Quarter 2017/18 Statistical Bulletin.
- This is the latest in a regular series of statistical bulletins related to Development Management (Planning) functions. The Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 sets out the legislative framework for development management and provides that, from 1 April 2015, councils now largely have responsibility for this planning function. This statistical bulletin reports on activity and performance for the second quarter of 2017/18 (1 July 2017 to 30 September 2017). Year-to-date processing performance for the full six month period (1 April 2017 to 30 September 2017) is also provided.
- A new classification hierarchy for planning applications came into effect on 1 April 2014 in advance of the transfer of planning functions to local government from 1 April 2015. The development categories are – major and local development applications, processed by councils, and regionally significant development applications processed within the Department. Note that the ‘major development’ category is based on a completely different definition to the previous ‘major’ category so figures relating to this category should not be compared with those from earlier bulletins (i.e. pre-2014/15).
- There are three legislative performance targets covered in the report related to the processing of local development decisions within an average of 15 weeks; major development decisions within an average of 30 weeks; and processing 70% of enforcement cases to target conclusion within 39 weeks.
- The final records of all applications from 1 April 2017 to 30 September 2017 were transferred in November 2017 from a live database and inspected for consistency in coding before figures were prepared for publication. These figures are regarded as ‘provisional’ and will be subject to further scheduled revisions as further updates are made to records in the live database environment. Finalised annual figures for 2017/18 will be released at the end of June 2018.
Quarterly data are provided in more detailed accompanying Excel tables together with comparable data from the previous financial year, where possible.
- Electronic copies of the Bulletin, associated Excel tables and summary infographic are available free of charge from: https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/articles/planning-activity-statistics
- Official Statistics - This is an Official Statistics publication and therefore follows the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. You can find further information about the Code of Practice at: https://code.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/
- For further information please contact:
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- Website: https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/articles/planning-activity-statistics
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