Publisher's Synopsis
The Committee has considered each of the reforms contained in the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 whose implementation the Planning Bill makes provision for accelerating. The Committee is satisfied that it is right to accelerate the introduction of each of these reforms. Bringing forward these reforms not only means allowing them to become understood and established in advance of the transfer of powers but also that the benefits of them can be realised sooner. In addition, the Bill makes provision for the introduction of two new reforms which were not contained within the 2011 Act. These additional provisions are intended to underpin the role of planning in promoting economic development. The first (clause 2) provides for the Department of the Environment (and the Planning Appeals Commission) when exercising particular functions to do so with a new objective of promoting economic development (alongside the objectives of furthering
