The Department for Infrastructure has released the Northern Ireland Planning Statistics: Third Quarter 2025/26 Statistical Bulletin, providing an overview of planning activity and council performance against the three statutory targets. The bulletin, which also includes approval rates and other indicators, is available on the Department for Infrastructure website.

There were 2,489 planning applications received in Q3 2025/26, up six per cent on the previous quarter and nearly six per cent year on year. These comprised 2,426 local applications, 61 major applications and two regionally significant applications.

In the same quarter, 2,309 applications were decided, an increase of 18 per cent on the previous quarter and similar to the volume a year earlier. Decisions were issued on 2,282 local and 27 major applications.

Across the first nine months of 2025/26, the average processing time for local applications brought to a decision or withdrawal was 19.6 weeks across all councils, exceeding the 15‑week target and up from 19.2 weeks over the same period a year earlier. Three of the 11 councils met the 15‑week target during this period.

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For major applications, the average processing time over the first nine months was 38.6 weeks, above the 30‑week target but one week faster than the same period a year earlier (39.6 weeks).

Enforcement performance improved, with 75.2 per cent of cases concluded within 39 weeks across councils during the first nine months of 2025/26, meeting the 70 per cent target and up from 70.1 per cent in 2024/25. Individually, five of the 11 councils were meeting the 70 per cent target.

These statistics are accredited official statistics, having been assessed by the Office for Statistics Regulation against the Code of Practice for Statistics. The current planning application categories (local, major and regionally significant) have applied since April 2014, ahead of the transfer of most development management functions to councils from April 2015. Statutory targets are: local development decisions within an average of 15 weeks; major development decisions within an average of 30 weeks; and bringing 70 per cent of enforcement cases to conclusion within 39 weeks.

Figures for 1 October to 31 December 2025 are provisional, based on records transferred from live databases in February 2026 and subject to scheduled revisions. Detailed quarterly data, accompanying data tables and a summary infographic are available on the Department for Infrastructure website, with finalised annual figures for 2025/26 due in July 2026. For media enquiries, contact the Department for Infrastructure Press Office; out‑of‑hours media enquiries are handled by the Executive Information Service on 028 9037 8110.