The Planning (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025

Made: 8th July 2025

Coming into operation: 1st August 2025

The Department for Infrastructure makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 9(2) and (3), 10(3), 22, 27(5), 30(1) and 247(1) and (6) of the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011[^f00001] and now vested in it[^f00002].

Citation and commencement

1

These Regulations may be cited as the Planning (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025 and shall come into operation on the 1st August 2025.

Amendment to the Planning (Local Development Plan) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015

2

• (1) The Planning (Local Development Plan) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015[^f00003] are amended as follows.

• (2) In regulation 15 (Availability of a development plan document) in paragraph (e)(iii) for “(a)(iv)” substitute “(a)(v)”.

• (3) In regulation 20 (Submission of documents for independent examination) in paragraph (2)(d) for “15(a)(iv)” substitute “15(a)(v)”.

• (4) In the Schedule after paragraph 4 insert—

(5) Regulation 25 (annual monitoring report) does not apply until the council has adopted its local policies plan for its district (or the Department approves the local policies plan for that district).

Amendment to the Planning (Development Management) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015

3

• (1) The Planning (Development Management) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015[^f00004] are amended as follows.

• (2) In regulation 1 (Citation, commencement and interpretation) in paragraph (3) in the definition of “EIA development” for “2015” substitute “2017” and for the footnote reference (c) “SR 2015 No.74” substitute “SR 2017 No.83”.

• (3) In regulation 4 (Content of proposal of application notice) in paragraph (a) for “7” substitute “8” and for “2015” substitute “2017”.

• (4) Regulation 5 (Pre-application community consultation)—

• (a) at the end of paragraph (2)(a) omit “and”;

• (b) after paragraph (2)(a) insert—

(aa) maintain a website to display details of the proposed development and facilitate comments from members of the public relating to the proposed development; and

• (c) in paragraph (2)(b)(iv) after “so,” omit “and”;

• (d) at the end of paragraph (2)(b)(v) for “.” substitute “,” and insert—

(vi) details of the website maintained in accordance with 2(aa), and (vii) the period of time to display details of the proposed development on the website.

; and

• (e) after paragraph (3) insert—

(4) The website in accordance with paragraph 2(aa) must display details of the proposed development for a minimum of 28 days during the period required under section 27(3) and must be after the notice publication date.

• (5) Regulation 7 (Pre-determination hearings) is revoked.

• (6) In the Schedule, for the Table at Class 1. EIA Development, in column 2 and 3 for “2015” substitute “2017”.

Transitional provisions

4

The amendments made by regulation 3(4) shall not apply in respect of applications duly made before the coming into operation of these regulations.

5

The amendments made by regulation 3(5) shall apply in respect of applications duly made after the coming into operation of these regulations.

Signed

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department for Infrastructure on 8th July 2025.

Rosemary Daly — A senior officer of the Department for Infrastructure

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Statutory Rule uses powers conferred by sections 9(2) and (3), 10(3), 22, 27(5), 30(1) and 247(1) and (6) of the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011.

These Regulations make technical amendments to the Planning (Local Development Plan) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015 and miscellaneous amendments to the Planning (Development Management) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015 which include the areas of Pre-application community consultation and Pre-determination hearings.

The Explanatory Memorandum is available alongside the Regulations on the government’s website www.legislation.gov.uk

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 2011 c.25 (N.I.)

[^f00002]: S.R. 2016 No.76 - see Article 8 and Part 2 of Schedule 5 of the Departments (Transfer of Functions) Order (Northern Ireland) 2016

[^f00003]: S.R. 2015 No.62

[^f00004]: S.R. 2015 No.71

Editorial notes

[^key-adfc60085cc6460afe15b1a9ad188d55]: Reg. 1 in operation at 1.8.2025, see reg. 1

[^key-d592fcc9e80de0068366fce35c6ac3da]: Reg. 2 in operation at 1.8.2025, see reg. 1

[^key-035f73bbf3e632291037727cddccb467]: Reg. 3 in operation at 1.8.2025, see reg. 1

[^key-4e7f8552f54e249673f9a22bddaa76fe]: Reg. 4 in operation at 1.8.2025, see reg. 1

[^key-d17b1b65749d1bc7ab3e0c5575f835cc]: Reg. 5 in operation at 1.8.2025, see reg. 1