New planning validation checklists for local authorities

Northern Ireland’s planning process is set for a significant enhancement following Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd MLA’s recent announcement on legislative amendments.

The reforms, under the aegis of amendments to the Planning (General Development Procedure) Order (Northern Ireland) 2015, aim to empower councils to create and enforce planning application validation checklists, marking a strategic shift aimed at improving the quality and efficiency of planning applications.

The amendments to part of the Department for Infrastructure’s (DfI) ongoing Planning Improvement Programme, a comprehensive initiative aiming to streamline the planning system for greater reliability, efficiency, and inclusivity.

According to O’Dowd, this policy shift is designed to refine the planning process at its initial stages: “This move is designed to improve planning performance with better quality applications entering the system, resulting in shorter processing times, more efficient consultee responses and quicker planning decisions.

“I am committed to improving the planning process and these legislative amendments have been introduced as a result of the Department’s Planning Improvement Programme which is aimed at creating an efficient, effective and equitable planning system trusted to deliver high quality, sustainable, inclusive and healthy places,” he says.

The new checklists represent a structured approach which aim to clarify the types and levels of documentation needed for different planning applications, tailored to the nature, scale, and location of each proposed development.

Although the foundational statutory requirements for planning submissions under the Planning Act 2011 remain unchanged, the checklists introduce an added layer of specific documentation requirements aligned with the complexity and impact of each project. Planning applications will now be deemed valid only if they meet these detailed requirements, as outlined in each council’s checklist.

By front-loading the application process with a more thorough validation step, councils anticipate smoother workflows and reduced back-and-forth on incomplete applications, which have traditionally delayed planning decisions. Additionally, it is hoped that consultees, who often provide essential feedback on applications, can expect to review better-prepared applications, leading to more effective collaboration and faster responses.

The changes reflect the Department’s objective, under the Planning Improvement Programme, of delivering a planning system that is efficient, effective, and equitable. The introduction of validation checklists underpins broader efforts to build a more transparent, sustainable, and trusted planning framework.

As councils prepare to implement these checklists, stakeholders across the planning sector will need to stay informed and be ready to adapt to the new challenges and opportunities they present.

Speaking to agendaNi, Heather Ritchie, a lecturer in planning at the School of Natural and Built Environment at Queen’s University Belfast, says that the legislative provisions “shows DfI’s commitment to planning reforms in terms of frontloading the system and providing more certainty and efficiency in the planning process, so it should be celebrated”.

In terms of how this will affect the future of training planning professionals, Ritchie says that graduates “will be entering into the profession in this new PVC [cement] era” and that academics “are beginning to teach the students about the new changes in the planning law modules”.

“We are also exploring what might happen if we end up with potentially 11 different regimes in the LPAs, since there appears to be a degree of flexibility and autonomy of the LPAs to decide whether to adopt and if so, the contents of the PVC,” she adds.

“We are also looking at whether the decision of non-conformance and route to appeal, in the already over-burdened Planning Appeals Commission is an effective recourse. As ever, it will take time to bed in, but for our graduates it is important that they are aware that it is likely they will be working under this new regime whether they work in the public or private sector.”