Introduction

Major changes to the NI planning system were announced by Environment Minister Edwin Poots today that will see Planning Service dissolved and its replacement (a central DOE body based on the geographical locations of the proposed 11 super-councils) put in place by 1 April 2011.

The 5 new planning offices, or ‘Local Planning Operations Divisions’, will each serve 2 council areas, with the exception of Belfast which will serve 3. The map attached shows the likely location of each new division.

The new planning offices will take responsibility for development management (determining planning applications) and development plan (preparing area plans that guide future development) from April 2011, and will be transferred to the new Councils once the final RPA arrangements have been put in place – currently expected around 2015. The Minister has indicated that the new divisions will be transferred to Council control even if the current 26 Council model is retained.

A Strategic Planning Operations Division, that will ultimately remain within the DOE, will retain responsibility for major planning applications, strategic planning and policy.

The changes mean that from next April all current planning applications will be transferred to the central DOE body. There are also likely to be significant senior personnel changes resulting from the restructuring which may affect the progress of current applications.

A full briefing note on the proposed changes will be issued shortly, once the extent of the changes and its implications become clear.

Other changes announced today include consultation on:

• New Governance Arrangements  aimed at ensuring Councils operate to high standards, pursue equality and fairness and that the appropriate checks and balances are in place;
• A new ethical standards regime including a mandatory code of conduct for councillors; 
• A new Council-led Community Planning Process aimed at greater community involvement in the planning process; 
• A service delivery and performance improvement framework for local government; and 
• A new Partnership Panel for Northern Ireland to formalise the relationships between the Executive and District Councils.

The consultation closes on Friday 11 March 2011.

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