PPS 1: General Principles
Introduction: The Role of the District Council

8. The Department has a statutory duty to consult the relevant Council about every planning application it receives and to consult the Council during the preparation of a development plan. This consultation forms an important part of the Department’s decision making process. As a matter of policy, the Department regularly consults councils on a wider range of matters than those required by statute. It has established consultation mechanisms designed to ensure that elected representatives have an input to the decision-making process. The Planning Service will continue to seek, in consultation with district councils, means by which, within the scope permitted by legislation, these arrangements could be further improved.