Comment

Local Development Plan update August 2020

It will come as no surprise that the Local Development Plan (LDP) process has been affected by COVID-19.

While local council staff have been able to work remotely, the public consultation process which was being undertaken by several councils as part of the counter representation stage (Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council and Derry City & Strabane District Council), and the re-consultation on the Mid Ulster draft Plan Strategy, (dPS) was suspended following the closure of local council offices.

Responding to COVID 19: Changes to Statement of Community Involvement

Over the past month, we have seen councils tabling revised versions of their Statement of Community Involvement (SCI). The SCI sets out the methods by which members of the public can view and respond to planning matters, be it a planning application or an LDP document. Most councils have now decided to make all consultation documents relating to LDPs available online, and are encouraging the use of email to address any queries. If it is not possible to view information online, members of the public can view hard copies at the council’s office on an appointment basis in order to comply with social distancing measures. The introduction of these changes will assist in getting the LDP process back on its feet.

Independent examination

It had been expected that the Independent Examination (IE) into the Belfast dPS would commence this summer, with the possibility of several councils having submitted their dPS to the Department for Infrastructure (the Department) by September. Unfortunately, these milestones have yet to occur. The below downloadable PDF provides a summary of the current position with each dPS.

Looking ahead

The latest correspondence from Belfast City Council indicates that it is likely to be Q4 of 2021 before the IE commences, having previously been timetabled for Q2 of 2020. We expect that Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, followed by Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council, will submit their dPS to the Department later this year or in the early part of 2021. It is a legislative requirement that councils submit their dPS to the Department in order that the Department can cause an IE. Before writing to the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC), the Department will check that councils have addressed the requirements set out in the legislation for an IE; they are not assessing the soundness of the dPS. This process may take between three to four months to complete.

The initial timeline set out in the Strategic Planning Policy Statement (SPPS) for the preparation of an LPD, both the Plan Strategy and the Local Policies Plan, was 3.5 years. This timeline has always been considered very ambitious.Five years following the transfer of planning powers to local councils, it is likely to be 2024/2025 before we see the first of the new generation of LDP in practice.

Please contact Angela Wiggam or Emma Walker if you have any queries on the LDP process.

17 August 2020