Planning decisions reached in Belfast have doubled over the last year.

The latest figures from Belfast City Council's Planning Committee show a huge burst in productivity, with the average time taken to process applications more than halved from 78 to 37 weeks.

Chair of Belfast City Council's Planning Committee, Councillor Arder Carson said: "I'm very pleased indeed with the work of the Planning Committee over the last year. Our role is a crucial one, as we're responsible for making decisions on significant, sometimes contentious applications – and our decisions support the ambitions of the city's development plan, The Belfast Agenda. We remain focused on providing an excellent planning service and making the application process as smooth, yet robust as possible."

-- Advertisement --

Additional data also reveals a decrease in the average time taken to process local applications, from 15.2 weeks to 13.8 weeks.

The Council's Planning Committee has processed applications for over 1,100 homes, two warehouse buildings, sports pitches, public realm improvements, student accommodation, restaurants, hotels and leisure facilities.

(CM/JG)