Debate contribution: Planning System: Fundamental Appraisal

Debate contribution by Mr Jonathan Buckley on 12 February 2024.

MLA

Mr Jonathan Buckley

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

12 February 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Planning System: Fundamental Appraisal

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4218217

Read the official Assembly record

Text

If there has ever been an issue that has caused me great frustration in this place, it is planning. It is a matter for which I have enjoyed much cross-party support when tackling the issues of the day, whether that support is from a former Minister or in general in the Committee. Planning is the thread that knits together so many vital aspects of our civilisation. It enables our economy to flourish, raises the cranes and builds the workforce. It enables modern, fit-for-purpose infrastructure and connectivity. It allows local communities to reach their true potential, and it facilitates community cohesion. It enables those in government to stand up and meet their targets, although, if we are all being honest, sadly, the Northern Ireland planning system has failed by all accounts. Rather than being an enabler and facilitator, it has been an anchor on investment and a drag on long-term development. It is high time that we were honest about that. Do not take just my view for it — I see that some Members are disgruntled already — that is the view of the Audit Office and the Public Accounts Committee. The system is in failure. The red light was flashing long ago. We have reports that stack that up. We have endless recommendations about what can be done to improve the system, but delivery has not happened. Let us look at the Audit Office report. It noted "significant silo working" in the system when it was trying to meet many of its main targets. Three quarters of regionally significant and major applications were not completed inside the 30-week target. Fifty per cent took more than one year to progress, and 19% took more than three years. I dare say that the 19% represent probably some life-changing applications that could really build the workforce and progress Northern Ireland. Let us look at our two-tier approach through local development plans. The Audit Office report notes that those plans were meant to be delivered and were expected following the transfer of powers within three and a half years. It is some eight years on, and we are starting to see some only now, with many still to come, albeit with the expectation that they will not be delivered before 2028. That is abject failure, and it is time that responsibility was taken for that. I am not here to lambast the current Minister. It is not an easy job, and planning will not be an easy or quick fix. However, the reality is clear: if we do not get to grips with it very soon, we may as well mount a billboard in Shaftesbury Square that says, "Northern Ireland is closed to investment as its planning system continues to fail to deliver". As for the renewable targets for 2030, there is not a chance. Let us look at the record. To date, the Planning Appeals Commission is taking over a year to progress a hearing for individual applications.

Absolutely. That is what a fundamental appraisal should look like. Let us look at some of the detail to date. The report that was commissioned by the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce highlighted that the PAC has the ability to appoint independent investigators to help with the backlog. That may not apply to bulk applications but certainly, where individual applications have the ability to change, we can make progress on those issues. It is not all about criticism. Where is the potential room for improvement? On consultee response times, we are sick, sore and tired of the old chestnut of consultees running the clock out as far as they can go and, a day before the deadline, submitting for further information. That has happened continually. How do we sort out that issue? Let us look at presumed consent. If consultees fail to offer legitimate planning reasons for delays in response, let us put the onus back on the Department to say, "If you have not completed in time, we will give presumed consent". Let us look at areas in which we can go further than that and, perhaps, introduce penalties for late delivery by the Department. It is evident that there is a disjointed and silo mentality. If anybody wants to look back through the research pack, they will see that we dealt with that issue continually at Committee level. There is a disjointed approach from departmental officials when it comes to planning.

That is an absolutely vital point. Do you know something? One thing that I have become acquainted with in the Committee — I think that the Member will find this — is that we have constant dithering and delay from a departmental perspective. Regionally significant applications have been around for five-plus years, maybe more. Information becomes apparent and the Minister changes the decision. It is time that we put planning at the heart of our decision-making.

I encourage the Minister to take that approach.

823 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 09:36 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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