Environment Minister Mark H Durkan has announced improvements to speed up the planning process in Northern Ireland.

In October 2013, the Minister decided not to move the Planning Bill to a further consideration stage, but emphasised his commitment to driving forward reform in order to speed up the planning system.

In a keynote speech at the Planning Forum MrDurkan announced:

• Shorter and simplified policy. At present there are 20 separate planning policy publications. This will be reduced to one single Strategic Planning Policy Statement. Consultation on this should issue later this month.

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• Intense, pre-application discussions, and widespread involvement of community in discussions, thus ensuring planning decisions can be taken much quicker.

• Promptly refusing planning applications that are substandard. This will unclog much time spent on trying to upgrade substandard applications.

• Action to ensure faster responses from consultees. This includes "Backlog Blitzes" to clear outstanding consultations in NIEA. Also new arrangements for future consultations in NIEA, such as a 'planning control team', a single point of contact for consultations and new protocols for processing consultations.

• Much greater access to planning case officers.

(CD/JP)