Northern Ireland Environment Minister Alex Attwood has announced the agreement which will see planning as well as a raft of other functions transferred to the Province’s 11 new local councils from central government departments in two years’ time.
In April 2015 the councils will take responsibility for planning, roads, urban regeneration, community development, housing, local economic development and local tourism. The transfer will also include the delivery of the EU Rural Development Programme and spot listing of buildings.
Meanwhile, the minister has launched a consultation on proposed changes to planning fees designed to make the system of charges fairer and more reflective of the present economic downturn.
This includes a proposal to reduce fees to 25 per cent for applications to renew planning permission and a fairer approach to calculating fees for minerals, gas and waste developments. For example: the application fee to renew a single dwelling (currently £840) would reduce to £210, similarly to renew an application for 1,000 sq m of retail floor space would reduce from £4,928 to £1,232.
Read the Northern Ireland Executive news release on planning functions move at: LINK
Read the Northern Ireland Executive news release on planning fees at: LINK
Search Planning Portal: LINK
