The Plan Strategy for Ards and North Down Borough Council has entered its next phase of ratification after an initial eight-week period of consultation, RSUA members heard today at a meeting with the Council’s Principal Planning Officers Gail Kerr (Development Management) and Leona Maginn (Local Development Plan), alongside Head of Regulatory Services Richard McCracken.
RSUA was represented by Marc Ballard, Anita Doyle, Gerry Hamill, Micah Jones, Olivia Laughlin, RSUA President John Lavery, Mark McCullough, Noel Orr, Roger Perrott, George Robinson and Claire Whyte.
Local Development Plan
The Council concluded a public consultation on its draft Plan Strategy on the day of our meeting. The Plan Strategy aims to set out how the Borough will develop over the plan period to 2032 and beyond. It establishes a strategic policy framework across a range of areas including housing, employment and infrastructure.
RSUA was given an overview of the Strategy and discussed pertinent draft policies.
The Plan Strategy is the first document in a two-stage process, the second being the more operational Local Policies Plan (LPP). Together these documents will form the Council’s new Local Development Plan (LDP).
In May 2024 the Council anticipated full adoption of the Plan Strategy in Quarter 3 of 2027, publication of the draft LPP between Quarters 3 and 4 of 2028 and full adoption of the LPP in Quarter 4 of 2031. However, the Council has advised that this timeline will be subject to revision.
Planning Application Validation Checklist
The Council published its new statutory Planning Application Validation Checklist on 5 January 2026. While broadly similar in concept to previous versions, a key change is that the additional information requirements are now mandatory.
It was reported that, since the Checklist came into operation, 155 applications have been submitted. Of these, 111 included all required information at the outset, while 44 required further information; 30 of those provided the additional details within the four-day time limit. In total, 141 applications were validated and 14 were not.
The Council also confirmed that applicants will have their fee returned if an application is deemed invalid.
Challenge of seasonal surveys
RSUA again raised the seriousness of the recurring challenge of seasonal species surveys being requested by planning authorities at the outset of an application, only for delays in planning processes to render them invalid by the time they eventually come to be assessed.
The Council raised the possibility of a more flexible approach whereby it could approve applications on the basis that the applicant provides evidence of having retained an ecologist to undertake the necessary ecological surveys within three months.
The Council further stated that it would raise the issue at the next meeting of the Development Management Working Group, attended by Principal Planning Officers from all 11 councils in Northern Ireland.
Planning performance for Q3 2025–26
The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) reported planning performance in the Borough for Q3 (October–December 2025) as follows:
These figures mean the Council in Q3 was outside the statutory target for majors (30 weeks) and locals (15 weeks).
Staff considerations
Loss of planning staff to other councils, including those in the Republic of Ireland, remains a challenge for Ards and North Down, as do absences due to secondments or sickness leave.
However, since the last meeting between the RSUA and the Council in May 2025, a dedicated team for processing major applications has been established, along with the appointment of a new full-time Senior Town Planning Officer.
Additional items
The Council highlighted its concern with the current shape of the Dilapidation Bill, draft legislation intended to address dilapidation by requiring remedial works through new building notices.
Should the owner default, the legislation would require the Council to carry out remedial works to make the buildings safe, with costs recovered through charges on the properties. The Council raised the question that, if the costs become excessive and the owner walks away, the local authority could ultimately be left bearing the liability.
Last year, the Council had been working towards organising its own design awards. However, RSUA was informed that the Council’s Budget Panel did not approve funding for this initiative, and therefore the Planning Department will need to identify its own resource to take the awards forward.
RSUA advised that wastewater capacity constraints remained a critical challenge in meeting the Council’s development requirements. The Council confirmed that, where appropriate, negative conditions are still being included in planning approvals.
These conditions allow developers to move forward while addressing water connection issues at a later stage.
Further engagement
If you have any questions or comments about this meeting, or would like to join the RSUA Ards and North Down Local Group, please contact Curtis Large, RSUA Policy and Public Affairs Officer, at curtis@rsua.org.uk
