Planning

Planning fees in Northern Ireland will be increased by 2.1 per cent from 1 April 2025. The inflationary uplift is based on the consumer price index (CPI) rate of 2.1 per cent from January 2024 to September 2024.

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has answered questions posed by the Irish High Court as the interpretation of Article 4(4)–(6) of Directive 2011/92 and the obligations arising where information received from third parties during the planning process raises doubt as to the potential environ

Town planners have been added to the critical skills occupation list in a bid to ease pressure on Ireland's planning system. The change makes town planning officers who are non-EEA nationals from outside of Europe eligible for critical skills employment permits, making it easier for Irish emplo

An Bord Pleanála could be replaced with the new An Coimisiún Pleanála as early as next month, the government has said. A new implementation plan for the Planning and Development Act 2024 says the relevant part of the legislation will be commenced in "early Quarter 2".

An Bord Pleanála is continuing to grapple with a large backlog of planning cases, with over 1,600 cases on hand at the end of November 2024. The backlog — attributed to the shortage of board members in 2022 — has been reduced, with the number of cases on hand down by 37 per cent f

A new users' group for the Planning and Environment Court has been established on a pilot basis. The Planning and Environment Court was established last year as a specialised division within the High Court in a bid to speed up complex judicial reviews.

The High Court has determined that a decision of An Bord Pleanála refusing planning permission for a high-rise apartment block development in North Wall should be quashed and that the matter should be returned to the point in time when the mistake in the decision-making process occurred. Deli

Northern Ireland councils are to be given new powers to prepare and publish planning application validation checklists. The Planning (General Development Procedure) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024 (S.R. No.176) will amend The Planning (General Development Procedure) Order (Northern Ireland

Landmark reforms to the planning process have been approved by the Oireachtas and will be signed into law. The Planning and Development Bill 2023 introduces statutory timelines for all consenting processes and will see An Bord Pleanála reorganised into a new body called An Coimisiún Pl

The High Court has determined that An Bord Pleanála is not functus officio in circumstances where it erroneously failed to make a decision on an application for substitute consent. Delivering judgment for the High Court, Ms Justice Emily Farrell stated: “A purported decision of the Boar

Eight new board members have been appointed to An Bord Pleanála, with the maximum number of board members also increased from 14 to 17. The new board members, who will take up their positions from 2 September 2024, are Declan Moore, Liam McGree, Marie O'Connor, Mary Gurrie, Mary Henchy, Mary

The Supreme Court has determined that the housing minister's power to make binding guidelines under s.28(1C) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 does not infringe Articles 15.2.1⁰ and Article 28A of the Constitution. Delivering the lead judgment for the Supreme Court, Mr Justice Gerard Hogan

The High Court has determined that An Bord Pleanála failed to properly consider the potential impact of a school floodlighting development on the conservation objectives of the nearby Bellanagare Bog Special Protection Area for the restoration of the Greenland white-fronted goose. Delivering

Responsibility for Ireland's marine planning system has been formally transferred to the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. The transfer from from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is based on a recommendation made by the former Attorney General Pa

The Supreme Court has determined that An Bord Pleanála failed to give adequate reasons for its decision to grant planning permission for a 1,592-apartment strategic housing development and failed to take relevant considerations into account. Delivering judgment for the Supreme Court, Mr Justi