RSUA’s Mid and East Antrim Local Group today met with Kyle Patterson, Acting Head of Planning and Building Control at Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, to discuss issues and concerns relating to the planning process.
Kyle was joined by Keith Irwin (Acting Principal Planning Officer), Sean O’Kane (Acting Senior Planning Officer), Henry McAllister and Denise Kerr (both Senior Planning Officers).
Local Development Plan
The Council adopted its Plan Strategy in October 2023 and has been actively assessing planning applications against it since that time. Work has now commenced on the draft Local Policies Plan (LPP).
A public consultation “calling for sites” was carried out between June and September 2024, and site appraisals are currently being undertaken to inform new zonings and settlement development limits.
In total, the Council is considering over 1,000 sites, with initial emphasis placed on achieving a compact urban form before shifting its attention to development potential within and on the periphery of settlement development limits if needed.
Independent studies have also been commissioned to estimate future economic development demand and to determine the amount of suitable land required to meet that need.
Additionally, Housing Growth Indicator figures have been provided to the Council by the NI Executive, with the Council responsible for ensuring that sufficient land is available within the various settlements to meet, as a minimum, the anticipated level of demand.
LDP next steps
The Council’s original target date for LPP implementation, December 2025, has been postponed. Officers and Councillors are currently working on revising the LDP Timetable, which will be published early in 2026.
Those interested in keeping up to date with the LDP’s next steps are encouraged to sign up to the Council’s Community Involvement Register by contacting LDP@midandeastantrim.gov.uk
Planning Application Validation Checklist
The Council is currently preparing its draft Planning Application Validation Checklist, with a public consultation expected early in 2026 and adoption shortly thereafter.
Officers stated that they would seek to strike a balance between enforcing standards and avoiding an overly onerous approach. They noted that there would be no major surprises in the Council’s Validation Checklist when compared with those of other councils; while some differences may exist, there will be broad consistency.
A specific aim of the planners is to design the checklist so that applications are referred to statutory consultees only when absolutely necessary. This follows concerns raised by consultees that in some cases referrals have been made superfluously, contributing to delays in processing times.
Challenge of seasonal surveys
RSUA emphasised that the Council should avoid requesting all information and reports at the outset of an application where this would be unrealistic. This was considered particularly important for seasonal biodiversity surveys (e.g. for bats), as the limited availability of ecologists could otherwise cause delays.
Officers responded that they would adopt a common-sense, case-by-case approach to the issue. The Council noted that negative conditions had previously been used to address seasonal challenges; however, it considers Pre-Application Discussions (PADs) to be the most effective mechanism for agreeing a way forward with applicants at the outset of a project.
Planning performance update
The Council’s performance data as per the Department for Infrastructure’s (DfI) annual planning statistics, issued on 26 June 2025, was recorded as follows:
The Council reported it was not experiencing any significant staffing challenges, was receiving a healthy number of applications for vacant posts and that it will look to avail of the DfI’s recruitment apprenticeship scheme in future.
Wastewater capacity constraints
Some councils are now adopting a more flexible approach regarding wastewater capacity constraints by allowing “negative conditions” in planning approvals. This enables developers to proceed while still addressing water connection issues at a later stage.
The Council stated that it was among the planning authorities that had adopted the use of negative conditions but emphasised that it was in the interests of developers to demonstrate early engagement with NI Water prior to lodging a planning application.
RSUA agreed to forward our proposed wording for negative conditions as submitted to Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council in April 2025.
Further engagement
The meeting concluded with RSUA and the Council agreeing that it had been a productive session and that engagement would continue.
If you have any questions or comments about the meeting, or would like to join the RSUA Mid and East Antrim Local Group, please contact Curtis Large, RSUA Policy and Public Affairs Officer, at curtis@rsua.org.uk
