Infrastructure minister Nichola Mallon has announced changes to the process for large planning applications, including temporarily removing the requirement to hold a public event as part of the pre-application community consultation.
The changes came into effect on 1 May 2020 and will apply for five months. Northern Ireland's Department for Infrastructure has prepared guidance for applicants.
Applicants will still need to comply with other requirements to ensure that communities are aware of, and can provide input to, large development proposals for their areas.
The Planning (Development Management) (Temporary Modifications) (Coronavirus) Regulations (Northern Ireland) SR 2020/72 will temporarily amend the Planning (Development Management) Regulations (Northern Ireland) SR 2015/71. This will apply to proposal of application notices (PANs) submitted to councils before or during the defined emergency period.
Mallon stated that the planning system will play a critical role in supporting our future economic and societal recovery from COVID-19, therefore it is vital that the process continues to function for the future and to move Northern Ireland forward.
She added: "My team is working closely with local government in partnership to ensure the planning system responds as effectively as possible".
"Public participation remains an important part of the planning process and to ensure that this is not compromised I will be publishing advice and guidance on appropriate measures to replace face to face public events, such as online engagement. This will ensure that pre-application public participation in the planning process can continue during the emergency period and will facilitate a more consistent approach across the 11 council areas".
