The Northern Ireland Planning Second Quarterly Development Management Statistical Bulletin 2011/12 provisional figures have been published.

The figures reveal that the number of planning applications being submitted in Northern Ireland for domestic alterations and extensions is still falling, down by 37% in urban areas and by 31% in rural areas on the same time last year. A significant fall has also been observed for housing developments (down 45%).

This is part of an overall decline in planning applications being received and may partially reflect the ongoing economic uncertainty. In the period July – September 2011/12, just over 3,200 applications were received, which is well under half the level of four years ago when over 7,500 applications were received.

-- Advertisement --

Planning performance, in terms of application processing times for Major, Intermediate, and Minor applications for the second quarter in 2011/12 were all lower than the levels achieved for the corresponding quarter last year.

Similarly, year-to-date performance is much lower when compared with the first half of 2010/11.

In the first half of 2011/12, just under 70% of intermediate applications were decided or withdrawn within the target period compared with 80% in the first half of 2010/11.

In the first half of 2011/12, 64% of minor applications were decided or withdrawn within the target period compared with 85% in the first half of 2010/11.

92% of applications were validated within six days in the first half of 2011/12 compared with 89% in the first half of 2010/12 and 97% of applications were validated within 10 days in the first half of 2011/12 compared with 95% in the first half of 2010/11.

79% of decisions were issued within two weeks of last Council consultation in the first half of 2011/12 compared with 88% in the first half of 2010/11 and 88% of decisions were issued within four weeks of last Council consultation in the first half of 2011/12 compared with 95% in the first half of 2010/11.

(CD/GK)