Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2015

Amendment of section 34 (permission for development) of Principal Act

3. Section 34 of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) in subsection (2)(a) by inserting the following after subparagraph (i):

“(ia) any guidelines issued by the Minister under section 28,”,

(b) in subsection (2) by inserting the following after paragraph (a):

“(aa) When making its decision in relation to an application under this section, the planning authority shall apply, where relevant, specific planning policy requirements of guidelines issued by the Minister under section 28.”,

(c) in subsection (2) by inserting the following after paragraph (b):

“(ba) Where specific planning policy requirements of guidelines referred to in subsection (2)(aa) differ from the provisions of the development plan of a planning authority, then those requirements shall, to the extent that they so differ, apply instead of the provisions of the development plan.”,

(d) in subsection (2) by inserting the following after paragraph (c):

“(d) In this subsection ‘specific planning policy requirements’ means such policy requirements identified in guidelines issued by the Minister to support the consistent application of Government or national policy and principles by planning authorities, including the Board, in securing overall proper planning and sustainable development.”,

and

(e) by inserting the following after subsection (3):

“(3A) In determining an application for permission that relates to an existing planning permission for a residential multi-unit development (within the meaning of section 1 of the Multi-Unit Development Act 2011) and where the purpose of the application for permission is to take account of specific planning policy requirements (within the meaning given by subsection (2)(d)) of new or revised guidelines issued by the Minister under section 28 with regard to the previously permitted development, the planning authority concerned or the Board (as the case may be) shall, notwithstanding section 34(2)(a), be restricted in its determination of the application to considering the modifications proposed by the applicant.

(3B) Notwithstanding section 37, no appeal shall be made to the Board in respect of the determination by the planning authority concerned of an application to which subsection (3A) relates unless it would relate to a materially significant change to the approved external appearance of the proposed development.”.