CIH Northern Ireland warns of ‘perfect storm’ as planning applications fall again

The data also shows that 1,953 applications were decided, a fall of 14% quarter on quarter and 15% year on year.

Local planning applications were also being processed more slowly, with the average application taking 19.4 weeks across all councils.

This exceeds the 15-week target and represents an increase from the average processing time reported for the same period a year earlier, which was 18.8 weeks.

However, the DfI’s statistical bulletin does show a marginal improvement in major application processing times, with the average application being processed in 34 weeks.

This was a decrease of nearly seven weeks from the average processing time reported for the same period a year earlier (40.9 weeks).

CIH Northern Ireland said the downward trend of planning applications combined with persistent processing delays are creating a “perfect storm” for the region’s housing supply.

Justin Cartwright, national director for CIH Northern Ireland, said the continued decline in applications is a “worrying indicator of wavering confidence”.

He added: “Every week of delay in the planning process is a week that a potential home remains unbuilt. We cannot afford to let the system become a permanent bottleneck, which is why we are calling on local councils to standardise best practices across the board.

“We must eliminate the regional ‘postcode lotteries’ in planning speeds and ensure that residential applications are prioritised with the urgency the housing crisis demands.

“By aligning resources and sharing the success models of top-performing councils, we can transform the planning system into an engine for growth that finally delivers the homes our communities need.”