Comment
Planning reform in Northern Ireland: Navigating Northern Ireland’s new Pre-Application Community Consultation and engagement requirements
With the introduction of The Planning (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025 [1] on 1 August 2025, the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) has now formally raised the bar on what is expected of applicants engaging in Pre-Application Community Consultation (PACC) for major applications. Planning Director, Philip Stinson and Senior Strategic Communications Consultant, Michael Jardine provide an overview of the new regulations and what this means for developments.
What has changed?
The updated regulations reflect DfI’s desire to broaden out access for the public during the PACC process, following more general trends in the use of online and digital tools by members of the public. The new statutory rules set out the need to for applicants to “maintain a website to display details of the proposed development and facilitate comments from members of the public relating to the proposed development.”
The new statutory rule also stipulates that “the website … must display details of the proposed development for a minimum of 28 days during the period … and must be after the notice publication date.”
In practice, this places an additional set of requirements that applicants must ensure they have developed and launched a public consultation website that is accessible to all interested parties for a minimum of 28 days from the publication of a public notice in a local newspaper. The public notice must also make clear that the website will be available for this period of time and that it will host a feedback method.
The website should display all the relevant information and details relating to the proposals and should provide a method for interested parties to provide their comments and feedback on the proposals.
What is the rationale for this change?
Whilst the detailed legal text outlines procedural changes, the direction of travel from the department is clear when it comes to community consultation and engagement in planning. The goals of these new changes are centralised around the understanding that:
- Broader and more inclusive engagement is now a legal expectation.
- Consultation methods must reflect the public’s modern communication behaviours, delivering digital engagement whilst maintaining the requirement for an in-person event.
- Poorly evidenced or inaccessible consultation processes risk the invalidation of applicant’s PAN and applications.
The department also updated Development Management Practice Note 10 to provide updated requirements for the content of a public notice and the details around the content to be displayed on the website as well as the duration.
What this means for applicants
For applicants with projects that have not yet submitted a planning application, it is critical to be aware of the changes to the department’s requirements.
Whilst some may believe the changes only apply to major applications whose PAN has been submitted and validated by a local authority on or after 1 August 2025, in reality it impacts all major planning applications that have not yet been submitted to their relevant local authority, regardless of whether they have already undertaken consultation under the previous requirements.
For all applicants, this is a critically important point to understand and consider if their project is impacted by these changes. DfI have been clear, if you consulted on a major application prior to 1 August 2025 but did not host a consultation website which provided a feedback mechanism, then you must undertake this process before you can submit your application.
Applications that have not undertaken these actions prior to submission will likely be deemed invalid by their respective local authority.
A strategic response to a statutory requirement
We have advised clients on the direction of PACC and planning reform for a number of years, ensuring that our clients’ approach to engagement is not just meeting the statutory requirements, but goes further to develop buy-in and social license with communities, residents and stakeholders ahead of any changes to the statutory rules and requirements.
Our Strategic Communications team has an industry-leading record of delivering statutorily compliant and compelling digital consultation and engagement strategies for a range of market-leading clients in sectors across Northern Ireland, Ireland and the rest of the UK.
Our digital-first consultation approach to PACC ensures that applicants not only meet their statutory requirements for their application - but do so in a way that builds trust with communities and ultimately strengthens project outcomes when moving towards a planning committee decision.
Your next steps
If your application is at concept, design or even consultation stage and aiming for submission in the coming months, you need to undertake three key actions:
- Review your consultation strategy immediately.
- Ensure it is fully aligned with the new PACC regulations and Development Management Practice Notes from DfI.
- Engage early with an experienced engagement advisory team who can support your project towards a successful outcome at planning committee.
Our team is ready to support applicants through the evolving planning process. If you would like further information on our services or advice on your next project, please get in touch with Philip Stinson or Michael Jardine.
14 August 2025
[1] The Planning (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025