A quick summary of the planning system in Northern Ireland

Last updated: 2 July 2025

The planning system, sometimes called town and country planning or land use planning, is all about managing the development of land and buildings in our towns, cities and countryside. Its purpose is to balance the needs of private individuals, businesses, and the public sector with the impacts that development may have on us and the environment.  

Planning should make sure that the right development happens in the right place. It plays an important role in delivering sustainable development, by ensuring that any new development protects the environment while still meeting social and economic needs. 

The planning system in the UK, which differs slightly across the four devolved nations, is a plan-led system. In Northern Ireland, any new development is guided by planning policy set out in regional planning documents and in local development plans. When a planning application for a new development is submitted, to be successful it must follow the planning policies for the area, at both the regional level and local level.  

Local councils are responsible for most planning decisions. Each council has a planning committee and planning officers to make decisions about local and major applications. The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) makes decisions about planning applications that are regionally important and could affect many people. 

Part 3, Section 23 of the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 defines development as: 

• Operational development – which includes building, engineering, mining or other operations in, on, over or under land (but not internal building works) 

• Change of use – which means a material (significant) change in the use of buildings, for example a barn to a house, and/or land, for example a greenfield site being used for new housing (planning ‘uses’ are classified in the Planning (Use Classes) Order (Northern Ireland) 2015) 

Some types of development, known as ‘permitted development’, can be carried out without planning permission. 

Under the 2011 Planning Act, each of the 11 councils is the local planning authority (LPA) for its district council area. The councils have responsibility for: 
 

• Local development planning – creating a plan setting out how the council area should look in the future through deciding what type and scale of development should be encouraged and where it should be located 

• Development management – determining the majority of planning applications 

• Planning enforcement – investigating alleged breaches of planning control and determining which actions should be taken 

However, the DfI still holds responsibility for regionally significant and 'called-in' applications, regional planning policy and planning legislation.  

Plan-making is the process of preparing, testing through public consultation and ultimately adopting a development plan containing the all-important planning policies for the area. The development plan that every LPA must produce for its area is called a local development plan. It contains a series of maps and policies setting out what can be built and where, and other matters including how biodiversity will be protected from local development and enhanced in line with national policies and legislation. 

Decision-taking is deciding which planning applications received by the LPA for development go ahead in its area. Every valid planning application must be registered, publicised, properly considered against relevant planning policy, and decided in accordance with the development plan, national policies and various procedural requirements. 

If a planning application is refused by the LPA, the applicant may appeal that decision. Appeals are dealt with by the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) in Northern Ireland. The PAC is independent of government departments and agencies. Planning and appeal decisions may be subject to legal challenge.  

To learn more about the different elements of the planning system, take a look at our reference guides on the Northern Ireland planning system landing page.

For more information on how communities are involved at the planning application level, or in the preparation of local development plans, see our guides in the links below. 

Getting Help with Planning 

Your local development plan: what is it and when can you get involved

Planning policy: the backbone of the planning system

Planning application process: a step-by-step guide