§ Mr. IllsleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what formal public consultation is required in respect of plans to develop out-of-town retail centres. [26205]
§ Mr. AncramResponsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Planning Service under its chief executive, Mr. T. W. Stewart. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
45WLetter from T. W. Stewart to Mr. Eric Illsley, dated 22 April 1996:
Mr Moss has asked me to reply to your Question about formal public consultations in respect of plans to develop out of town retail centres.Where an application for planning permission is made, except in certain minor cases, Article 21 of the Planning (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 requires that a notice of the application is published in at least one newspaper circulating in the locality in which the land to which the application site relates is situated. In addition, occupiers of land adjoining the application site are notified by means of a non statutory Neighbour Notification Scheme. The appropriate local District Council is also consulted on all applications.Certain major applications are subjected to special procedures under Article 31 of the 1991 Order which may involve the holding of a local public inquiry by the Planning Appeals Commission for the purpose of considering and reporting on representations made in respect of an application.