Planning Legislation

Specific local legislation to control the development of land in Northern Ireland was first introduced in the early 1930’s and for forty years local government administered the planning system.

In 1973 local government was reorganised and when the provisions in the Planning (NI) Order 1972 were commenced, the Ministry of Development became the planning authority for Northern Ireland in place of the local planning authorities.

Responsibility for planning control was subsequently transferred to the Department of the Environment, which is now responsible under the Planning (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 for planning matters.

The Planning Act (NI) 2011 received Royal Assent on 4 May 2011.

The Act provides for the transfer of the majority of planning functions from central government to district councils within a timetable to be agreed by the Executive. It also brings forward a number of reforms to the planning system. The Act and the complementary Explanatory Notes are shown below. The Notes have been prepared by the Department in order to assist the reader of the Act. It does not form part of the Act and has not been endorsed by the NI Assembly. The Notes should be read in conjunction with the Act.

This section of the website will include further updates in relation to local government reorganisation.

Current Planning Legislation is listed below: