A Local Development Plan for Belfast has been put forward to the next stage.

The LDP is the land use plan for Belfast up to 2035. It will guide investment, set out policies and proposals for the use, development and protection of land across the city, and once adopted, will be used to determine planning applications.

Belfast City Council has become the first local authority in Northern Ireland to see its LDP passed to the Planning Appeals Commission, where it will be considered for independent examination.

Chair of Belfast City Council's Planning Committee, Councillor Arder Carson said: "We're very pleased that the Department for Infrastructure has put our Local Development Plan forward to the next stage. It's a significant milestone for Belfast – the LDP will shape how the city develops. It's going to support our Belfast Agenda ambitions and the crucial role we'll play in helping to sustainably develop the wider regional economy over the next 15 years.

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"We've had responsibility for determining the outcome of planning applications since the transfer of planning powers in April 2015 – from domestic extensions through to major urban redevelopment schemes. It's time for the policies that we base our decisions on to be updated, so that they place communities at the heart of the planning process, they're tailored to the needs of our evolving city and they allow for speedier decision making."

The council will now look to work with the Planning Appeals Commission to confirm a timetable for the formal Independent Examination. During this process the council will also be considering the implications for the next stage of the plan development and the ongoing work that will focus on the local policies, including site specific proposals and potential designations. 

(CM/MH)