New measures to enhance public engagement and streamline decision-making in the planning system have been announced by Northern Ireland Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins.

The changes, which will be made through the introduction of The Planning (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025 Statutory Rule, have been developed following a public consultation in early 2024 and form part of the Department’s wider Planning Improvement Programme.

Under the new statutory rule:

• Pre-Application Community Consultation (PACC) will be strengthened by requiring developers of major applications to provide a dedicated website to display draft development proposals and enable public feedback. This is in addition to the mandatory in-person public event, which remains a statutory requirement;

• Pre-Determination Hearings (PDHs), previously mandatory in certain cases, will now become discretionary, allowing councils to decide whether a hearing is necessary based on the circumstances of each application.

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Minister Kimmins said: "Public engagement is still regarded as a vital part of the planning process. By introducing a digital platform alongside the existing in-person community consultation, we are making it easier for more people to have their say – at a time and in a way that suits them. This dual approach ensures inclusivity while embracing modern engagement tools. It also brings the pre-application process in line with best practices across these islands.

"Making pre-determination hearings discretionary gives councils the flexibility to focus resources where they are most needed, without compromising transparency or public trust.

"These changes are another step forward in the Planning Improvement Programme and are a direct result of recommendations which emerged through the Call for Evidence, as part of the Review of the Implementation of the 2011 Act and from consultation with councils and stakeholders to make the planning system more efficient and effective.

"Increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of the planning system for all stakeholders is a key driver of the Planning Improvement Programme and these changes are coming into place at a time when we are seeing significant improvements in processing, particularly for major applications which have seen their lowest annual processing time since the transfer of planning powers in 2015, a decrease of 6.9 weeks compared with 2023/24. I will continue working to bring processing times down further."