Understanding Permitted Development and Use Classes
There are three key pieces of planning legislation which control the development and use of land in Northern Ireland.These are:
- The Planning (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 (‘the 1991 Order’)
- The Planning (Use Classes) Order (Northern Ireland) 2004 (the ‘UCO’)
- The Planning (General Development) Order (Northern Ireland) 1993 (‘the GDO’)
Following these links will help you understand what these pieces of legislation do and the relationship between them.


