Council takes over planning

Alderman Michael Henderson, Chairman of the Council’s Planning Committee, explained: “The Council held its first Planning Committee Meeting of the new council term this week representing a historic milestone in local government reform.

“For the first time, locally elected council members will be making the majority of planning decisions for the new council area. This gives us a unique opportunity to shape and develop our local area, to ensure maximum benefit for ratepayers.”

The Planning Office is located in the Council Headquarters at Lagan Valley Island, Lisburn, BT27 4RL. Planning Officers can be contacted by phone on 0300 200 7830 (Mon – Fri 9.00am -5.00pm) or email: [email protected].

The transfer of planning powers means that the planning application and consent forms will change and these new forms can be downloaded from www.planningni.gov.uk. Planning applications on the DOE forms will be accepted until 1st May 2015 so please ensure any new applications are submitted using the updated forms.

Planning applications that were undecided on 31st March 2015 have now been transferred to the Council who will now be responsible for decision making. The progress of a planning application can be checked at any stage by logging onto the Planning Portal at www.planningni.gov.uk

Decision making in respect of the majority of local planning applications will be handled in accordance with the Council’s Scheme of Delegation, which can be viewed on the Council’s website www.lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk.

A copy is also be available to view at the Council’s Planning Office. If an application is to be decided by the Planning Committee, MP/MLA/Councillors and members of the public will have speaking rights.

The speaking rights are set out in the Planning Committee Protocol, which can be viewed on the Council website.

Anyone wishing to address the Committee must register their wish to do so with the Council’s Committee Section five working days before the meeting by emailing [email protected]. All cheque and postal orders for planning services should be made payable to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council.