The Northern Ireland Audit Office has published a strategic review identifying substantial backlogs and lengthy delays at the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC), which are hindering the planning system's ability to support economic and environmental development in Northern Ireland.

The PAC handles planning appeals, runs public inquiries and hearings, and reports on some of the most complex and economically important development proposals. The review, conducted by the Comptroller and Auditor General, Dorinnia Carville, examined PAC performance in recent years and found delays across all workstreams, particularly for regionally significant applications sent for public local inquiry or hearing. As at August 2025, there were 20 live major cases, almost half of which had been referred to the PAC more than two years earlier.

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The report also points to serious shortcomings in governance and accountability. It notes the PAC has no statutory or formal targets for processing times and no direct accountability to the Assembly for its performance—unlike comparable bodies in other jurisdictions that operate within clearer accountability frameworks.

Comptroller and Auditor General, Dorinnia Carville, said: "Previous Northern Ireland Audit Office reports have highlighted weaknesses in efficiency, effectiveness and collaboration within the planning system. This report identifies similar themes, but its findings are particularly concerning given the PAC's pivotal role in progressing projects with such significant potential to create economic benefit for local communities. The PAC has not been delivering value for money, and prolonged delays and backlogs risk making Northern Ireland a less attractive place for investment."

The report will underpin an Inquiry by the Northern Ireland Assembly's Public Accounts Committee, scheduled to commence in October.

The full review is available on the NIAO's website, with further details on the Public Accounts Committee Inquiry on the Assembly's website.