Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011

Determination of planning applications

45.—(1) Subject to this Part and section 91(2), where an application is made for planning permission, the council or, as the case may be, the Department, in dealing with the application, must have regard to the local development plan, so far as material to the application, and to any other material considerations, and—

(a) subject to sections 61 and 62, may grant planning permission, either unconditionally or subject to such conditions as it thinks fit; or

(b) may refuse planning permission.

(2) A development order may provide that a council or the Department must not determine an application for planning permission before the end of such period as may be specified by the development order.

(3) In determining any application for planning permission the council or the Department must take into account any representations relating to that application which are received by it within such period as may be specified by a development order.

(4) Where an application for planning permission is accompanied by such a certificate as is mentioned in section 42(1)(c) or (d), the council or, as the case may be, the Department—

(a) in determining the application, must take into account any representations relating to the application which are made to it by any person who satisfies it that, in relation to any of the designated land, that person is such a person as is described in section 42(1)(c); and

(b) must give notice of its decision on the application to every person who made representations which it was required to take into account under paragraph (a).