Planning

Planning law reforms could help reduce the price of renewable electricity in Northern Ireland, a prominent energy lawyer has said. Richard Murphy, partner at Pinsent Masons and head of the international law firm's Irish energy group, today called on the Northern Ireland Executive to take action to h

Strict architectural heritage protection laws could be reviewed in order to encourage renovation of derelict urban properties, according to reports. Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien is considering a review of Part IV of the Planning and Development Act 2000, according to The Irish Times.

Legislation which will streamline the forestry licensing process by limiting who can appeal and introducing new fees will be presented to the Dáil within the next two weeks. The public consultation on the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill, which has been sharply criticised by environmental

The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal taken by James Kenny in a long saga of litigation related to the construction of student accommodation. Background

The High Court has granted an injunction against a quarry operating near the Leannan River Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Background

Northern Ireland's Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) is set to hold its first virtual pilot hearing next week. The landmark hearing will take place on Tuesday 30 June, closely following the first virtual planning hearing in Scotland earlier this week.

A legal row has developed between Belfast residents and the Chinese embassy over the construction of a new wall at the Chinese consulate in Belfast. Residents living near the Chinese consulate in Belfast have secured an injunction in the High Court against the construction of a new wall on the site.

Northern Ireland's Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) has announced plans to pilot remote hearings in selected cases within the next four to six weeks. The announcement follows repeated calls from lawyers and the construction industry for Northern Ireland's planning system to catch up with the rest o

A judicial review lodged over the impact of a proposed development on the energy efficiency of a neighbouring building could have "far-reaching consequences", planning lawyers have said. The case concerns the extension of a residential building in Sandymount, Dublin 4, which a neighbour claims will

Northern Ireland's planning system is "lagging badly" behind the rest of the UK in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic by failing to introduce remote hearings, construction industry groups have said. In a joint letter to the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC), nine industry groups expressed "grave

Kerry County Council breached planning laws by failing to implement a language condition attached to a planning permission for a housing development in the West Kerry Gaeltacht, An Coimisinéir Teanga has said. The Office of the Language Commissioner carried out an investigation on a provision

The requirement to hold a public event as part of the pre-application process for major planning applications has been temporarily removed for five months. The changes, which came into effect via legislation on Friday 1 May, have been made to allow the planning system to continue functioning during

Lawyers have called for Northern Ireland's planning system to "catch up" with the rest of the UK by introducing remote hearings during the coronavirus pandemic. The Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) has confirmed in a letter to the Northern Ireland Planning Bar Association (NIPBA) that it is "taking

The High Court has denied two interlocutory applications taken by Kilkenny County Council. Mr Justice Garrett Simons heard the proceedings as part of a judicial review taken by the Mount Juliet Estates Residents Group against Kilkenny County Council pursuant to the statutory procedure provided for u

Construction lawyer Georgina Wallace of Ronan Daly Jermyn gives an overview of the law relating to the right to light, recent case law in this area, and the implications of the right to light on developers. A right to light is a right which is enjoyed over neighbouring land which allows a landowner