Legal status Active Website planningni.gov.uk | Region served Northern Ireland | |
Headquarters Millennium House17-25 Great Victoria StreetBelfastBT2 7BN Leadership Deputy Secretary - Planning and Local Government Group: Ian MayeDirector of Strategic Planning Division: Anne GarveyDirector of Local Planning Division: Fiona McCandlessDirector of Planning Policy Division: Maggie SmithActing Director of Local Government Policy Division: Liz Loughran | ||
The Planning Service is an Executive within the Department of the Environment (Northern Ireland), which regulates the development and the use of land in the public interest.
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Origins
The Town and Country Planning Service was established in 1973 when the responsibilities of the local planning authorities briefly passed to the Ministry of Development and then to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Planning before being assimilated into the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland. The Department's statutory planning functions are currently contained in the Planning (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 and associated subordinate legislation.
The Town and Country Planning Service became an Executive Agency (known as "the Planning Service") of the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland on 1 April 1996.
Following devolution of authority to the Northern Ireland Executive in 1998, the "Department of The Environment for Northern Ireland" was renamed "The Department of The Environment". Some of the functions previously undertaken by the "old" Department were transferred to other Northern Ireland Departments. Planning Service remains an Executive within the Department of The Environment.