Publication of Northern Ireland Planning Statistics: 2015/16 Annual Statistical Bulletin

Northern Ireland Planning statistics for 2015/16 are now available. These data provide an overall view of planning activity across NI.

Alongside this there is a summary of council progress 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 ASRB website at: 

• www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/publications/northern-ireland-planning-statistics-april-2015-march-2016

Key points

• There were 12,220 planning applications received in Northern Ireland (NI) during 2015/16, a decrease of 5.0% over the previous financial year. This comprised 12,069 local development, 145 major development and six regionally significant development applications.
• During 2015/16, 11,034 planning applications were decided, down 5.3% on the previous year and 63.4% below the peak level of 30,161 recorded in 2005/06 before the economic downturn.
• In 2015/16, the average processing time for major development applications across all councils was 46.4 weeks, over sixteen weeks longer than the statutory processing time target of 30 weeks. Average processing times ranged from 28.2 weeks in Antrim and Newtownabbey to 70.2 weeks in Fermanagh and Omagh. Antrim and Newtownabbey was the only council to meet the statutory target.
• The number of local planning applications received in NI during 2015/16 was 12,069, an average of just over 3,000 applications each quarter.  Belfast City (1,557), Newry, Mourne and Down (1,423) and Mid Ulster (1,371) received the highest number of local planning applications.
• In NI, across councils it took on average 19.4 weeks to process local applications to decision or withdrawal in 2015/16, over four weeks longer than the statutory target. The shortest average processing time was 14.0 weeks in Antrim and Newtownabbey whilst the longest was 34.8 weeks in Newry, Mourne and Down. Three of the 11 councils, namely Antrim and Newtownabbey (14.0), Fermanagh and Omagh (14.4) and Mid and East Antrim (14.4) were within the 15 week target whilst Mid-Ulster was just a little above it at 15.2 weeks.
• The number of enforcement cases opened in Northern Ireland during 2015/16 was 2,914, an increase of 15.8% compared to a year earlier.  This is the highest number of enforcement cases opened in any year since 2010/11 when 3,117 cases were opened. Belfast City (406) and Ards and North Down (338) opened the largest number of cases in 2015/16.
• Nine of the eleven councils met the statutory enforcement case target to process 70% of cases to conclusion within 39 weeks of complaint with a high of 85.9% concluded within 39 weeks in Mid and East Antrim followed by Antrim and Newtownabbey (84.2%). Newry, Mourne and Down (54.1%) and Fermanagh and Omagh (63.8%) did not meet the target although the performance of the latter did improve in the second half of the year.
• The overall Northern Ireland approval rate for all planning applications for 2015/16 was 93.7%, an increase of half a percentage point over the year from 93.2% in 2014/15. Over the last four years, the approval rate of planning applications in NI has been fairly stable. Annual planning approval rates varied across councils from highs of 96.7% in both Derry City and Strabane and Mid Ulster down to 90.8% in Newry Mourne and Down.
• In 2015/16, renewable energy applications received fell by 38.6% when compared to the previous year and were down by three fifths when compared to 2011/12. More than seven out of every ten renewable energy applications received in 2015/16 were for single wind turbines.  Although single wind turbines continue to dominate renewable energy applications, over the last year applications have decreased by a very sizeable 41.8%.

Notes to editors: 

1. This is the latest in a regular series of statistical bulletins related to Development Management (Planning) functions in Northern Ireland. The Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 sets out the legislative framework for development management in Northern Ireland and provides that, from 1 April 2015, councils now largely have responsibility for this planning function. This is the first annual statistical bulletin to report on activity and performance since the transfer of planning functions occurred. This first year will provide the base year for the reporting of performance-related data at council level, with comparative trend data then building from that point onwards.
2. 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 new development categories are – Major and Local development applications, processed by councils, and Regionally Significant Development applications processed within the Department. Note that the new ‘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 (ie pre-2014/15).
3. There are three new 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.
4. The final records of all applications from 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016 were transferred in June 2016 from a live database and inspected for consistency in coding before figures were prepared for publication. These annual figures are now regarded as ‘final’ and will not be subject to further scheduled revision.
5. 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 ‘Northern Ireland Planning Statistics Bulletin’ and associated Excel Tables are available free of charge from:

• 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/

Further Information

For further information please contact:

• Tel (public enquiries): 028 9054 0223
• (Text relay prefix 18001)
• E-mail: stats.planning@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk
• Website: www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/articles/planning-activity-statistics

6. Media queries should be directed to the Department for Infrastructure Press Office on 028 9054 0007. Out of office hours please contact the duty press officer via pager number 0769 971 5440 and your call will be returned.

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