Building activity and those behind commercial developments are being stymied right across NI because of delays in the planning approval stages.

One public inquiry into two major retail developments planned for Newtownards is facing an indefinite delay while it has also been revealed that of five large-scale planning applications currently on the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) agenda, three are now facing delay.

One developer, Belfast Office Properties wants to extend the town's iconic Ard's Shopping Centre while rival development consortium, Castlebawn, wants to create a new shopping development and that inquiry was due to begin on 22 March.

Castlebawn meanwhile, has submitted a new environmental statement which prompted further questions from the Department of the Environment (DoE) and as interested parties would not have enough time to assess the new environmental information before submitting their evidence to the inquiry - it was obliged to cancel the Castlebawn inquiry.

The DoE then withdrew its request for an inquiry into the Ards Shopping Centre proposal, as it wants both inquiries to be held at the same time.

The Planning Appeals Commission has a backlog of 13 pending major cases but can only deal with one case at a time - with obvious delays.

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An inquiry into a proposed runway extension at George Best Belfast City airport is being held up because the necessary environmental information is incomplete.

Other high-profile planning cases include the proposed John Lewis store at Sprucefield, which has been under consideration for several years.

The Planning Appeals Commission is now said to be "overburdened" with a total of seven new proposals have been referred to it and a further six proposals set to come under its auspices by being referred to the Commission.

The delays are proving a frustration for local politicians too as Ards Borough Council last autumn was stepping up the pressure to ensure that the public inquiry into its proposed major retail planning applications for Newtownards was prioritised.

Chairman of the Council's Development Committee, Councillor Angus Carson, said Newtownards was not standing still awaiting the outcome of the inquiries, he stressed the urgent need for formal decisions on planning applications at Castle Bawn, Ards Shopping Centre and in the town centre.

In the background, plans to move from 26 to just 11 'super' councils are also creeping ahead, with huge implications for planning processes.

Last November, it emerged that Northern Ireland's councils will soon be taking full responsibility for drawing up their own development plans and also making the vast majority of planning decisions has been revealed.

The move is part of an overall reform of local government, which - despite obvious delays in implementation - "is moving forward apace".

Edwin Poots, the Environment Minister, said he would return control of planning to councils and eventually mean councillors making most planning decisions.

He added that NI's existing Planning Service would be abolished and the staff absorbed into his own department.

The proposal is based on Stormont's stalled plans to reduce the number of councils from 26 to 11 so-called 'super councils'.

In essence, the six existing divisional planning offices would be reduced to five area offices, which the Minister said would be designed around the 11 "council clusters".

See: 'Super Councils' To Make Planning Decisions

See: Council Steps Up Pressure For Newtownards Planning Enquiry

(BMcC/GK)