Welcome to the autumn edition of PlaNIt

We have evolved

We recently launched our refreshed brand. Shaped by over 1,500 voices from across the profession, it’s more than a new look - it’s a stronger, more unified way of expressing who we are, what we stand for, and the positive impact planning makes every day.

This new brand isn’t just how we look: it’s how we act, speak, and connect. It’s how we build trust, raise the profile of planning, and celebrate the work of our members.

Our four core values now sit at the heart of everything we do:

• We are inclusive – We foster a culture where everyone feels valued
• We are approachable – We communicate in a friendly, open and transparent way
• We champion – We advocate for planners and the profession
• We are professional – We uphold high standards and expertise

In this edition 

Welcome
Planning in schools pilot 
Finch - what happened next? 
Empower 2030
Recent consultations 
UK-Ireland Planning research 
Annual conference 
Celebrations
AI in Planning
Planning law

Welcome to the autumn edition

Welcome to the latest edition of plaNIt. I cannot believe it is October already: we’ll be talking about Christmas in no time and that glorious summer already feels like it was ages ago.
It has been a busy few months at the RTPI. In September we launched our rebrand and Empower 2030: our refreshed Strategic Plan.

I’ve continued to meet our members throughout NI, including NI’s new Chief Planner, Rosemary Daly and the DfI team, Derry City & Strabane District Council, Aecom, Data Hub, Juno Planning, Tughans, Women in Planning NI, as well as students and staff at both Queens and Ulster universities and Belfast College to discuss an exciting new apprenticeship scheme. I’ve also met our fellow built environment colleagues at RSUA, the Chartered Institute for Housing, Renewables NI and the Construction Professions Council NI.

There have been some recent events that the RTPI NI team has been unable to attend so we’re extremely grateful to Executive Committee volunteers who have stepped in to represent RTPI NI – thank you to Emma Aldridge for attending the DfI’s all-sector planning engagement event on 2nd April called ‘Conversation with a Purpose’ and speaking to students at Ulster University about ethics in planning practice, Robbie McNaugher represented our private sector members providing feedback to Causeway Coast & Glens Council on service delivery, and Nick Salt attended a NIAO event on soil testing fraud.

My offer to meet remains open - if you’d like me to come and meet your team and chat about the RTPI and all things planning in NI.

Mark Hand, RTPI NI Director

Planning in schools pilot

This month, Emma Aldridge launched our pilot Planning in Schools programme at St, Malachy’s College. School engagement has been one of Emma’s priorities as RTPI Northern Ireland Executive Committee Chair 2025, and it fits perfectly with our refreshed Ambassadors programme.

The activity involved students creating a vision for their town and then bringing this to life by building a model of their masterplan. It was fascinating to see how the students interpreted different aspects of the activity and the difference in their opinions of what makes a good town. We had plenty of involvement and interaction from all the students and teachers.

Emma was joined by Aoife Murray, Catharine McWhirter, Gemma Evans, Jack Corcoran, Joseph McKee and Tiernan Fitzlarkin.

There are multiple benefits to schools outreach:

• By making students aware of what planners do, we can help grow the pipeline of future planners. A properly resourced planning system will unlock our full potential to make positive change;
  
  
• We’ll encourage young people to think more about he environment around them and how they can influence and shape that. If they don’t want to become a planner, at least they’ll have a greater understanding of how and when to get engaged in the planning system as citizens;
  
  
• It’s a healthy break from the day-job and a wonderful reminder of why we became planners: to shape a better world to maximise the health, social, economic and environmental prospects for the next generation; and
  
  
• It counts as CPD!

We’d love to expand this programme to more schools throughout NI. If you’d like to get involved and organise something in your local area, please get in touch with us at RTPI Northern Ireland.

Top tips:

• Join one of our introductory sessions for new RTPI volunteers. There’s a choice of dates to choose. 
  
  
• Before heading out, please read our safeguarding policy.
  
  
• There are lots of resources on the website  like our Ambassadors’ toolkits. Then we just ask that you record what you’ve done 

Finch - what happened next?

Faye Phillips is a Partner at Carson McDowell

We have now had over a year to digest the landmark judgment of the Supreme Court in the case of R (on the application of Finch) v Surrey County Council and others [2024] UKSC 20 which ruled on the requirement to assess downstream greenhouse gas emissions as part of an environmental impact assessment (“EIA”). The Finch decision, coupled with the A5 decision recently issued by the High Court in Northern Ireland, reflect the fact that climate change is now at the forefront of challenges to development schemes and is now a factor developers and consultants alike really need to grapple with in preparing EIAs.

In Finch, planning permission had been granted for onshore well extraction. The environmental statement accompanying the planning application had failed to assess greenhouse gas emissions arising when the oil extracted from the development is eventually combusted/used off site. A challenge to the decision was brought on this basis and eventually ended up in the Supreme Court, with the majority of the Supreme Court concluding that “downstream” greenhouse gas emissions from the use of the extracted oil were likely “indirect effects” of the project and should have been assessed as part of the EIA.

In reaching this conclusion, the Supreme Court established a number of criteria which should be considered when assessing the effects of a project under the EIA regime. One of the criteria requires the LPA to consider the question of “causation” (i.e. is the effect likely) and paragraph 69 of the judgment notes that the “strongest possible test of causation…requires the occurrence of event X to be both a necessary and sufficient condition for the occurrence of Y” – the judgment does however acknowledge there are other tests for causation.

The second criteria the LPA should consider is to assess whether the effects are “capable of meaningful assessment” (paragraph 167). Both are matters of evaluative judgment for the decision maker.

The ramifications of the Finch judgment have been widely felt, with several successful challenges subsequently being brought to consents granted for fossil fuel development throughout the UK. For example, planning permission granted for an underground coal mine in Whitehaven, Cumbria was quashed in the case of R (Friends of the Earth Limited) v SSLUHC [2024] EWHC 2349 (Admin)– in this decision the Court essentially held that the burning of coal was an inevitable consequence of the development and, applying Finch, was an indirect effect which should have been assessed.

In the case of Greenpeace Ltd v Advocate General for Scotland [2025] CSOH 10, petitions were brought against oil and gas projects in the North Sea and North Atlantic – the judgment notes that all parties were agreed that the decisions to grant consent for these projects were unlawful as the EIA for each failed to assess the downstream emissions of the combustion of oil and gas to be produced. The question which arose in this case related to the remedy to be granted – a declaration the decision was unlawful or a quashing order (known as a reduction order in Scotland). In making a decision to quash the consents, Lord Ericht made the following comment which highlights how the interests of the public in climate change will outweigh those of developers:

“[151]… Having considered all the circumstances of the case and the various public and private interests, I have reached the conclusion that the balance lies in favour of granting reduction. The public interest in authorities acting lawfully and the private interest of members of the public in climate change outweigh the private interest of the developers. The factors advanced by Shell, Equinor and Ithaca in respect of their private interest do not justify the departure on equitable grounds from the normal remedy of reduction of an unlawful decision.” (Emphasis added)

However, the impacts of the Finch decision, whilst immediately seen in challenges to fossil fuel developments has now more recently had an impact on other forms of development.

For example, in the recent case of R (Caffyn) v Shropshire Council [2025] EWHC 1497 (Admin) a challenge was brought to a planning permission granted for the construction and operation of four poultry units which authorised the housing of 200,000 chickens producing 3,600 tonnes of poultry manure annually.

A condition was imposed on the planning permission which required manure to be taken off site to an anaerobic digester or other suitable disposal facility. The Court found that the council in this case had failed to properly assess the indirect effects of spreading digestate on third party land and the potential impact on watercourses. When applying the Finch criteria of “causation” and “capable of meaningful assessment”, the Court held that the EIA was inadequate as it failed to assess these indirect effects.

In a Northern Ireland context, we have seen climate change come to the forefront of challenges to major schemes via the challenge to the decision of the Department for Infrastructure (“DfI”) to proceed with the first phase of the A5 road scheme. A number of grounds of challenge were brought to that decision, however, one of the key successful grounds of challenge related to the lawfulness of DfI’s decision making in accordance with Section 52(1) of the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 (“the Act”) which requires NI departments to exercise its functions consistently with the other provisions of the Act i.e. so that their functions comply with the budgets and targets set by the Act.

There was no evidence this had been done when making the decision to proceed with the A5.

Mr Justice McAlinden referred to the duties imposed by the Act and highlighted their importance by describing them as “live, active and meaningful”. This echoes comments of the Lady Chief Justice in An Application by No Gas Caverns Ltd [2024] NICA 50 (a challenge to a marine licence and related consents for seven natural gas storage caverns located under Larne Lough) where she stated:

“Specifically, it seems logical to us that given the climate commitments now enshrined in our law that decision makers on large scale projects such as this will have to consider and rationalise any convergence or divergence with those standards set in law.”

It is important to note that the A5 judgment is currently the subject of an appeal to the Court of Appeal.

It is evident there is a lot to grapple with in terms of climate change and assessing the relevant climate impacts of projects following the Finch decision and more than a year on it is clear the judgment has wider implications beyond fossil fuel development. The implications of Finch coupled with the decision of the Northern Ireland High Court relating to the A5 demonstrate that developers will have to give very careful consideration as to how climate impacts are dealt with in the preparation of planning applications and it is advisable that all downstream impacts of a proposal are assessed as part of an EIA.

This document does not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for legal advice that is tailored to your individual circumstances.

If you have any queries, the Planning and Environmental Law Team at Carson McDowell LLP would be happy to help.

Empower 2030

Our refreshed Strategic Plan provides the focus for our activity over the next five years, including our ambition to grow to 30,000 members worldwide.
Empower 2030 is grounded in our vision (to be the world’s leading professional planning body, promoting healthy, socially inclusive, economically and environmentally sustainable places), our mission (to advance the science and art of planning, working for the long-term common good and wellbeing of current and future generations) and our purpose (empowering planners to deliver positive impact).

Our activities are built around the three pillars:

• Purpose: supporting a better understanding of what planning is and what planners do;
  
  
• Practice: supporting the development of planning practice and the planning system; and
  
  
• People: enabling planners to reach new heights in their careers with five cross-cutting core elements.

Department for Infrastructure Consultation: Draft Transport Strategy to 2035

Joanna Drennan is The RTPI's Policy officer for Northern Ireland

On 16 September, RTPI Northern Ireland (RTPI NI), with support from the RTPI NI Policy and Research Forum, submitted a response to the DfI’s consultation on the Draft Transport Strategy to 2035. We support the strategy’s vision for a sustainable, safe, accessible, and effective transport system that meets climate change targets, serves all communities and enables economic growth. The response aligns with RTPI’s own work from June 2020 with ‘Plan the World We Need,’ with findings drawn from various respected research bodies.

RTPI NI agrees with the identified reasons driving ‘a need for change’ in our transport network:

• Traffic congestion
• Climate change
• Health and wellbeing
• Road safety
• Equity

However, an important omission is demographic change, particularly a growing ageing population. In addition to the everyday challenges associated with ageing, such as changes to sight, hearing and mobility, there is also an increase in the prevalence of dementia in Northern Ireland. Transport and infrastructure must adapt to meet those needs.

RTPI NI strongly disagrees with the strategy’s current approach to reducing transport carbon emissions, which prioritises switching fuels to zero or low-emission vehicles. The ‘fuel-switch-first’ model is seen as contradictory to best practise, as it continues to support car dependency and fails to address other societal harms of private vehicle use. Instead, we advocate for a place-based hierarchy: reduce the need to travel, shift to public and shared transport, then, finally, switch fuels. This framework is outlined in the 2021 RTPI’s ‘Net Zero Transport’ report.

While RTPI NI supports integrated transport and land use planning, we argue that the strategy’s focus on improving infrastructure in the current built environment is only half the picture. A fundamental shift is required, embedding carbon reduction and equitable outcomes in land use policy to make holistic decisions from the outset. Local planning services need to be suitably resourced with adequate technical and financial support.

RTPI NI supports the Place and Movement Framework but the strategy overemphasises ‘Movement’. A more inclusive approach should include features focused on ‘Place’ functions, that are currently omitted from the plan, such as seating for elderly people, accessible design for people with mobility difficulties, neurodivergent conditions or other needs, and adoption of ideologies from the Healthy Steets toolkit to promote well-designed public spaces.

A ‘carrot and stick’ approach is recommended when tackling travel demand management measures. This involves road space reallocation and behavioural change - making sustainable, public transport more attractive whilst discouraging private car use. Engagement and education about the benefits of sustainable transport modes should start early, particularly in schools. As noted in our response to DfI’s Active Travel Delivery Plan earlier this year, active travel needs to be considered holistically along with public transport provision, and areas with a low level of public transport accessibility prioritised for active travel infrastructure. In addition, growth areas shown in emerging Local Development Plan strategies should be taken into consideration and not just existing development. This is a perfect opportunity to start to align land use and transport planning, with a place-based approach rather than a sectoral one.

Department for Communities’ consultation on ‘Shaping Sustainable Places’

Joanna Drennan is The RTPI's Policy officer for Northern Ireland

On 19 September, RTPI NI, with input from the RTPI NI Policy and Research Forum, submitted a response to the consultation from the Department for Communities on ‘Shaping Sustainable Places’. We welcomes and support the overarching vision to work with communities to address local challenges through funding interventions that deliver sustainable, people-centred places and positive economic, social, and environmental outcomes.

RTPI NI strongly supports the idea that shaping sustainable places should be developed through a placemaking process. However, we highlighted major concerns regarding capacity and resourcing. Local councils and planning services often face resource limitations, and effective delivery will require adequate technology and financial support.

RTPI NI does not support the sole/primary use of the ‘Living High Streets Craft Kit’ as a singular model for planning sustainable places. Instead, local councils should have the option and flexibility to use locally appropriate methods to their best understanding. We advocate for a cultural shift from a sectoral to a place-based approach. Research published by the RTPI in 2021, entitled ‘Place Based Approaches to Climate Change’ demonstrates the benefits of this. Planning policy, and specifically the Local Development Plan process, provides a strong mechanism and guide to managing development with a place-based approach. Planning decisions in Northern Ireland should prioritise development that enables growth whilst also achieving a substantial reduction in travel demand.

We support a variety of community engagement techniques, however, it should be noted that any placemaking plans should have been co-designed with the local community so should already have support.

There were several interventions listed in the consultation, with which we strongly agree:

• Investing in public realm across rural and urban centres
  
  
• Bringing vacant and derelict buildings back into use
  
  
• Fostering local economic productivity
  
  
• Improving safety and sustainability – this includes reducing car dominance and enhancing infrastructure
  
  
• Expanding green space and ensuring climate-resilient, energy-efficient development

In terms of partnerships for delivery, RTPI NI agreed that other partners should be involved in delivering ‘Shaping Sustainable Places’, however existing partnerships such as Community Planning Partnerships, Neighbourhood Renewal Partnerships, Peace Plus Partnerships and Area Integrated Partnership Boards (part of the reform of the Health Service) are all engaged in similar conversations and striving for the same outcomes, so are additional partnerships really necessary? We also raised the point that careful consideration needs to go to the funding criteria and timescales. Previous experience has shown that prescriptive funding criteria and short timelines place undue pressure and resourcing burdens on local authorities, and may not actually enable investment where the real need lies.

RTPI NI supports the vision of working with communities to deliver regeneration as a long-term strategic priority, and urges the Department for Communities to recognise and support the planning system in NI as a key enabler.

Ulster University hosts UK-Ireland Planning Research Conference 2025

Dr Gavan Rafferty

The conference brought together leading academics and practitioners at its Belfast campus from 10–12 September to re-imagine what the future holds for planning.

Marking a significant milestone, this was the first time Ulster University hosted the PRC in the conference’s 30-plus-year history. The event is organised annually on behalf of the Planning Schools Forum, a representative body for accredited planning schools.

The conference brought together around 150 academics and practitioners from across the UK and Ireland, as well as international delegates from Australia, Austria, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Norway. More than 110 abstracts were submitted covering a diverse range of planning themes — from theory and history, to digitalisation, AI, innovation, and future urban realities.

The opening evening was hosted at the historic Belfast Harbour Commissioners offices, featuring a welcome reception and Opening Roundtable chaired by Professor Diana Fitzsimons OBE (Ulster University), featuring Caroline Creamer (Maynooth University), Craig McLaren (Improvement Service), and Dr Daniel Slade (RTPI) as the panellists, and covered a range of issues, including growing misinformation, resourcing within the profession and collaboration across different sectors and jurisdictions. This was followed by the RTPI President Helen Fadipe MBE presenting the prestigious RTPI Awards for Research Excellence. This year, two of the awards were renamed to honour the lasting contributions of esteemed figures in the field — Patsy Healey and Tony Crook — with family members present for the occasion.

Thursday’s programme at Ulster University’s Belfast campus was headlined by a keynote address from Professor Mark Tewdwr-Jones (UCL), who urged attendees to consider the role of planning research in combating misinformation and enabling inclusive, evidence-based dialogue. The day continued with a series of parallel sessions and a well-attended conference dinner.

The final day featured further research presentations and a closing plenary with Chief Planners from across the UK and Ireland. To promote planning to a future audience, the conference also welcomed three Belfast secondary schools to take part in two interactive sessions with Ulster University’s PhD researchers and Community Places, focusing on assessing the quality of places through the Place Standard Toolkit, as well as a parallel session exploring how generative artificial intelligence could enhance visual engagement.

The local school pupils, alongside conference delegates, got the unique opportunity to engage with chief planners in a panel discussion chaired by Kirsty Macari (University of Dundee), featuring Joanna Averley (Chief Planner of England), Claragh Mulhern (Chief Planner of Ireland), Rosemary Daly (Chief Planner of Northern Ireland), and Fiona Simpson (Chief Planner of Scotland). Key themes included the rise of AI and technology, recruitment and resource challenges, the future of planning, and the importance of cross-sector and cross-jurisdictional collaboration.

The formal proceedings were brought to a close by Professor Neale Blair (Ulster University), who thanked attendees for their contribution and participation in the conference, before delegates also took part in themed study tours, exploring topics such as the restoration of St Comgall’s and Ross Street social housing scheme by Radius Housing in West Belfast, urban decarbonisation in Titanic Quarter, and maritime regeneration.

Further information is available at UK-Ireland Planning Research Conference 2025.

NI Annual Planning Conference

Planning for the Future: From a Decade of Change

We held our Annual Conference, kindly sponsored by Tughans LLP in September with a record 150 delegates in attendance. Minister Kimmins gave the keynote speech which was attended by RTPI president Helen Fadipe MBE FRTPI during her Presidential Visit to Northern Ireland. You can see some photos below. 

Northern Ireland celebrations

The Northern Ireland Awards for Planning Excellence continue to recognise and highlight the positive contributions that planning professionals make to the communities we serve around the world.

Congratulations to the NI Awards for Planning Excellence, sponsored by Cleaver Fulton Rankin 2025 Winners, who were announced on 9 June at Barnett’s Demense, Belfast at our lunchtime welcome celebration event.

• Best Project - Creevagh Heights/Sean Dolan’s GAC submitted by Radius Housing Association
• Planning Authority of the Year - Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council
  
  
• Mid-Size Planning Consultancy of the Year - Clyde Shanks
  
  
• Young Planner of the Year - Sophie Burch

Good luck to you all at the National Awards on 27 November in London. The following NI entrants have also been announced as finalists:

• Ross Street Mews submitted by Studiorodgers Architects - Excellence in Planning for Communities (small schemes under 50 homes)
  
  
• Clooney Terrace Cannon Site Environmental Improvement Scheme submitted by Derry City and Strabane District Council - Excellence in Planning for Heritage and Culture
  
  
• Northwest Greenway submitted by Derry City and Strabane District Council - Excellence in Planning for Health and Wellbeing

We need you!

Exciting opportunity - The Awards for Planning Excellence are important to the RTPI and the profession, they carry prestige. As a judge, you are carrying out an important role. Depending on the volume of entries we require more than one judging panel and we are looking for talented individuals to join a database of potential judges we can call on for the local awards in Northern Ireland for next year and subsequent years. If you have a passion for planning, sustainability and urban design we would like to hear from you!

The judging period for 2026 will be from March to May with the time commitment (depending on entries) being around 8-10 hours for discussion meetings, shortlisting, online judging and candidate interviews and 1-3 days for site visits.

If you would like to be considered for a voluntary judging role please contact
northernireland@rtpi.org.uk for further info.

Welcoming our newly chartered members 

We celebrated our newly chartered members at our Welcome event on 9 June.

• Aoife Byrne
• Paul Catton
• Michael Clarke
• Thomas Ellison
• Hannah Flynn
• Alice Gallagher
• Rebekah Gibson
• Philip Glennon
• Leah Hingston
• Mandy Jones
• James McBride
• Chloe McDonnell
• Eoan McTernan
• Dani Sterling

Congratulations to you all.

For those who have obtained Chartered status since, you will receive an invitation to our next welcome event on 11 June 2026

Student awards

Congratulations to our local Student Award recipients

Hugh McKay Memorial Award at QUB
Ryan Milligan and Padraig McCaughey

NI Student Project Prize at UU
Sasha Hornby

Emerging opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence in spatial planning

Tiernan Fitzlarkin is a PhD Researcher at Ulster University

The planning profession is at a technological crossroads. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has rapidly evolved from a theoretical concept to a practical reality, and its implications require consideration across the profession. While the technology promises to enhance accessibility, efficiency and inclusivity, its integration within the profession raises fundamental questions that require further deliberation.

The potential applications of AI are becoming increasingly evident. AI tools can analyse large datasets, draft reports, and generate concepts that consider built and natural environment constraints, such as flooding or heritage designations. These capabilities could help address persistent challenges within the planning process, including system backlogs, resource limitations and accessibility barriers.

Emerging research illustrates how these technologies could be used in practice. Prototype tools trained on planning policy documents show how AI can provide context-specific responses to planning queries, with the potential to streamline workflows and enhance access to planning knowledge. Rather than replacing professional judgement, these technologies could support practitioners by automating administrative tasks and enabling the creation of more responsive planning processes.

These technologies also create new opportunities for participatory planning processes. AI tools could enable stakeholders to express ideas without the immediate need of specialised design skills. This increasing accessibility to design visualisation tools has the potential to change how people engage with the built environment in future.

AI also demonstrates potential in environmental monitoring and scenario planning. It can learn from large datasets to identify patterns, such as changes in land use or areas of flood risk. It can also simulate how different development options might work, using agent-based models that mimic the behaviour of people, vehicles or buildings in a given area. AI can also integrate data from multiple sources, such transport, housing, and environmental data, and synthesise the information to create a coherent overview. This ability to process and interpret information could enable more informed decision-making to emerge. decision-making to emerge.

However, enthusiasm for these technologies should be tempered by the recognition of their challenges. Several technical limitations present immediate issues. AI models frequently generate incorrect information, a reliability problem that becomes critical when informing planning decisions. General-purpose models, such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Co-Pilot, often lack the specialised knowledge needed for context-specific planning, including a nuanced understanding of local planning policy, potential community sensitivities and site-specific constraints.

The ethical issues of these tools also require careful consideration. Data used to train some of these models may embed historical biases, risking the perpetuation of existing inequalities. In regions with socio-geographic divisions or post-conflict dynamics such as Northern Ireland, these risks could be even more apparent. The opaque nature of many of the technologies and how their outputs are generated also undermines transparency and accountability, potentially eroding trust in planning systems where confidence may already be fragile.

The existing practical obstacles of AI are also of concern. Limited exposure among planning professionals to emerging technologies, combined with the significant financial investment and expertise required for implementation, creates adoption barriers within already resource-constrained systems. Crucially, these tools cannot function autonomously. They require continuous human oversight and the integration of professional judgement that algorithms cannot replicate.

The path forward requires moving beyond identifying potential to critically examining how AI might be embedded in planning practice. This may require the development of robust regulatory frameworks that address issues of data privacy, transparency in the decision-making process and the ethical considerations of using AI. Planning authorities and consultancies may want to invest in building capacity among practitioners to understand both the capabilities and limitations of these technologies.

AI tools are already emerging in England. The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, recently announced the “Extract” tool, which will allow planning authorities to speed up planning processes by scanning hundreds of files in seconds, significantly reducing the amount of time spent on manually checking these documents with roll out expected in 2026. A similar approach could be undertaken by planning authorities in Northern Ireland.
AI will undoubtedly influence the future of planning. Whether that influence proves beneficial depends on the choices made now about how these technologies can be integrated responsibly, ensuring they serve to enhance rather than undermine the principles of accessible, effective and inclusive planning.

Dates for your diary 2026

15 January
Awards for Planning Excellence open for entries

5 March
Annual Dinner, Titanic Hotel

11 June
Welcome event/awards announcement (invitation only)

September (date tbc)
September Annual Conference 

November (date tbc)
Planning Law Update


Further events will be announced in due course - if you have an idea for an event please contact Julie Sullivan.

Booking is essential for all events, please note the closing date for all bookings and ensure you read the booking terms and conditions.

Publication of ‘Planning Appeals Principles’, 6th edition

William Orbinson KC LARTPI has just published the 6th edition of his ‘Planning Appeals Principles: The decision-taking approach of the Planning Appeals Principles’, through Planning Online. Over the past 30 years, William has developed a particular specialism in the field of planning appeals, drawing on his close understanding and wide experience of the principles explained in this publication. Written with the support and input of the PAC, the book addresses:

• the Commission’s approach to policy interpretation and application
• what is required for Councils to sustain refusal reasons
• the importance of fairness and consistency in Council decision-taking
• the precedent value of Commission decisions
• principles governing the making of costs awards.

This sixth edition comes at a time when the property world emerged from a pandemic only to find that systemic and infrastructure constraints are holding back development, and often the only way forward is to go to appeal. It reflects the evolution of the Commission’s decision-taking principles since the last edition was published in 2020, and builds on the principles identified in the first edition back in 1999.

The book is available both in hardback and in an online version which helpfully includes links to the appeal decisions discussed. The hardback version costs £39 and the online version £29.

‘In a world that is constantly changing it is important that those involved continue to keep well-informed of developments in the planning and environmental arena and it is publications such as this which enable us to do so. This updated document is particularly important given the more complex policy and legal environment currently in operation as regional policy continues to  become superseded. The Commission has welcomed the opportunity to contribute information to help update this publication.

Since the previous edition, several Plan Strategies have been adopted, and this edition includes some cases which address the implications of the changing policy landscape The detailed analysis provides a useful insight into the cases and enables the practitioner to gain a better understanding of the way in which we approach our work and reach our decisions. This publication will be an invaluable source of information to those who wish to gain a better understanding of the role of the Commission in the Northern Ireland planning system and its approach to decision making’.

From the foreword by Andrea Kells, PAC Chief Commissioner
The book can be ordered now from Planning Online

Thank you to all of our contributors to this edition. If you would like to submit an article or discuss advertisement opportunities please contact northernireland@rtpi.org.uk

RTPI NI contacts

Mark Hand
Director
07725 798 3838
mark.hand@rtpi.org.uk

Joanna Drennan
Policy Officer
07455 706 929
joanna.drennan@rtpi.org.uk

Julie Sullivan
Member Services Officer
07455 710 809
julie.sullivan@rtpi.org.uk

RTPI Northern Ireland
PO Box 69
Carrickfergus
BT38 8WX
020 7929 8193
northernireland@rtpi.org.uk

RTPI NI Linkedin

The RTPI is a charity registered in England 262865 and Scotland SC 037841