An Opportunity to Level Up Planning: a review of major planning processes in Northern Ireland

CBI Northern Ireland has published a new report proposing a shake-up of major regional planning processes. With a particular emphasis on projects of regional significance, the report sets out a series of recommendations to both streamline the planning process and establish a new framework for more effective delivery of strategic infrastructure projects in the longer term.

Developed in partnership with Jim MacKinnon CBE, Scotland’s former Chief Planner, the recommendations include the introduction of statutory timeframes for determinations, the use of processing agreements, and the development of a streamlined process for projects of regional significance. The objective is to have these adopted as an integral part of the Executive’s long-term approach to infrastructure delivery.

We believe Northern Ireland benefits from a strong ecosystem of infrastructure expertise, and this is reflected in the membership of the CBI NI Infrastructure Working Group which played an important role and insight in developing the recommendations in this report. With the statutory review of the Planning Act 2011 now underway, and the Ministerial Panel on Infrastructure delivering its findings in recent weeks, there is an opportunity to level-up the planning processes to unlock growth in building back better from the COVID crisis. But firm and committed leadership from policymakers across our political spectrum will be needed to turn opportunity into sustained delivery

Next Steps:

The CBI has already engaged, and will continue to engage with the Department of Infrastructure (DFI) on its recommendations to support both the DFI’s statutory review of the Northern Ireland planning system, and its further consideration of the recently published report from the Ministerial Panel on Infrastructure.