The provisional Northern Ireland Planning Development Management Statistics April - June 2014 published today shows a rise in the first quarter in planning applications.

The report shows the first quarter-on-quarter increase in planning applications received since quarter three 2009/10, and is the highest number of planning applications received in quarter one since 2011/12. However, while some of this increase may be attributable to improving economic conditions, it may also partially reflect a surge in applications in advance of Planning fee increases which came into force on the 28th May 2014.

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DOE Planning received 3,378 planning applications in the first quarter of 2014/15, a 13% increase in the number received in the same quarter in 2013/14 (2,997).

The number of DOE Planning decisions issued during the first quarter fell by 3% from 2,825 last year to 2,730 in the current year. This represents the lowest number of cases processed to decision in any quarter over the last seven years. Despite the general increase in planning applications, the number related to renewable energy (121) dropped by almost half (49%) in comparison to the same quarter in 2013/14 (238). This was predominately due to a large reduction in single wind turbine applications, which accounted for around four in every five (83%) first quarter renewable energy application, but which themselves reduced by approaching half (45%) compared to the same period last year.

(CD/MH)