On Thursday 24 July 2025, members of the RSUA Newry, Mourne and Down Local Group met with Jonathan McGilly, Assistant Director of Regeneration for that area’s District Council, to discuss issues and concerns related to the planning process.
Jonathan was joined by Lois Jackson, Development Plan Manager, and Annette McAlarney, Planning Manager with responsibility for overseeing the Planning Application Validation Checklist.
Local Development Plan
On 27 June 2025, the Council launched its Draft Plan Strategy, which is currently subject to public consultation until 5pm on Monday 22 September 2025.
The Council is holding a series of drop-in sessions to collect views on the draft, details of which can be found here.
The Strategy aims to set out how the district will develop over the plan period to 2035. It establishes a strategic policy framework across a range of key areas, including housing, employment, tourism and transport.
The Plan Strategy is the first document in a two-stage process, with the second being the more operational Local Policies Plan. Together, these two documents will form the Council’s new Local Development Plan (LDP).
The Local Policies Plan will be brought forward following the full adoption of the Plan Strategy, which the Council has indicated is expected in two to three years’ time.
Advance notice of policy changes
RSUA members requested that the Council provide advance notice of any policy changes prior to the publication of the Strategy to ensure that applications submitted in the interim are not invalidated once the Strategy is implemented.
The Council responded that all forthcoming changes will be published on its website. A counter-representation period will also follow the adoption of the Strategy should architects wish to raise any concerns.
Planning Application Validation Checklist
The six-week public consultation on the Council’s draft Planning Application Validation Checklist concluded on 12 May 2025.
Two workshops were held with agents, who provided feedback for the Council to present to its Planning Committee this month ahead of expected approval.
The Validation Checklist will make the submission of additional information reports mandatory. The Council stated that the Checklist is intended to ensure applicants provide the correct information upfront, thereby helping to speed up processing times.
Challenge of seasonal surveys
RSUA members emphasised that the Council should avoid requesting all information reports at the outset of an application where this would be unrealistic.
This was considered important in relation to seasonal biodiversity surveys, as the limited availability of environmental officers could result in delays to applications.
The Council acknowledged this point but responded that such surveys cannot be addressed through negative conditions.
It stated that a Preliminary Ecological Assessment (PEA) can support the progress of an application by demonstrating that no further surveys are required. However, if a PEA raises concerns, additional surveys must be undertaken.
More generally, the Council assured us that it will adopt a pragmatic approach and not request excessive reports.
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 stated that local planning application processing times are currently unsatisfactory and that it will take time before noticeable improvements are seen.
It cited staff shortages as a key issue, with many planners leaving for roles in the Republic of Ireland, attracted by higher salaries.
To help address the situation, the Council is implementing mentoring and group work initiatives to support staff development and help manage the workload. At present, each case officer is handling between 40 and 50 applications.
NI Water capacity constraints
RSUA members expressed that NI Water capacity constraints are affecting almost every application made in the area.
The Council responded by confirming it is content to proceed with the use of negative conditions in determining applications, provided there is ongoing engagement with NI Water through a Wastewater Impact Assessment and a clear commitment from NI Water to identify solutions at a later stage.
The Council reported that it was actively lobbying the Department for Infrastructure to emphasise the scale of the challenge, and that NI Water were consulted throughout the creation of the Draft Plan Strategy.
If you have any questions or comments about this meeting or would like to join the RSUA Newry, Mourne and Down Local Group, please contact Curtis Large, RSUA Policy and Public Affairs Officer, at curtis@rsua.org.uk
