Officials in the NI Environment Agency (NIEA), have managed to reduce the current backlog of planning cases within the organisation, but overall performance remains behind target, the Stormont agriculture committee has been told.

Giving evidence last Thursday, NIEA director Helen Anderson said that a backlog of 368 cases on 1 November 2021, had been reduced to 192 by 1 March 2022.

“It is a sizeable improvement, but we are not complacent,” said Anderson.

Under current rules, final decisions on planning applications rest with local councils.

NIEA, which is an executive agency within DAERA, has a target to respond with 21 days, but in 2020/21, the average for responses was 34 days

However, the planners in the councils are required to seek guidance from NIEA if the application might have an impact on the natural environment.

NIEA, which is an executive agency within DAERA, has a target to respond with 21 days, but in 2020/21, the average for responses was 34 days.

Anderson explained that over the last 24 months DAERA has faced “a perfect storm” of rising planning cases, the pressure of dealing with Brexit, adapting to new working arrangements associated with COVID-19, and a loss of expertise due to staff promotion.

To ease the pressure in recent months, NIEA had redeployed staff, brought in temporary agency workers and stopped responding to requests for updates.

“Addressing those update enquiries – that compounded our backlog situation really quite drastically,” claimed Anderson.

She said that she has made a bid to senior management to recruit 23 permanent staff, and also claimed that the overall situation was not helped by planning applications being submitted that were either incomplete or lacking in quality.

Ammonia

During the evidence session, the officials from NIEA were also asked about 25 planning applications left in limbo due to concerns around ammonia emissions.

Under instruction from Minister Poots, NIEA is continuing to work under an existing operational protocol for assessing a new development situated close to designated sites or priority habitats.

However, Shared Environmental Services (SES), the local council-based body which provides guidance to planners, does not work to the DAERA protocol.

The consultation will air all these issues

“There is a difference there,” accepted Anderson, who explained that where SES disagree with the NIEA assessment, the planners then re-consult with NIEA, which leads to a planning application essentially getting stuck.

A revised DAERA operational protocol for the assessment of air pollution is to be part of a wider public consultation on a new ammonia strategy for NI.

“The consultation will air all these issues and will allow stakeholders to work through the issues and inform the best way forward for NI.

The minister does intend to publish the ammonia strategy for consultation before the assembly rises for the pre-election period,” confirmed Anderson.

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