The Antrim and Newtownabbey Local Development Plan (LDP) is the first to be brought forward by the Council since the transfer of planning powers to local government in 2015. It has been prepared under the new process for development plans introduced by the Planning (NI) Act 2011 and it will apply to the entire Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough area.
LATEST NEWS - Adoption of Local Development Plan 2030 - Plan Strategy
On 3 July 2025 the Council adopted the Local Development Plan 2030 - Plan Strategy, in accordance with Section 12 of The Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 and Regulation 24 of The Planning (Local Development Plan) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015. The provisions of the Plan Strategy became effective on the date of adoption. The Plan Strategy and relevant adoption documents can be downloaded below.
Adopted Plan Strategy Documents
Title Date
The above documentation is also available for inspection between 08:30hrs and 17:00hrs at the Council’s Offices at Mossley Mill, Carnmoney Road North, Newtownabbey; and Antrim Civic Centre, 50 Stiles Way, Antrim.
Any queries should be directed to the Planning Section at forwardplanningteam@antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk or by post to the Planning Section, Mossley Mill, Carnmoney Road North, Newtownabbey, BT36 5QA.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Plan Strategy Pre-Adoption Consultation Notification
Following the Independent Examination into the Local Development Plan 2030 - draft Plan Strategy, the Council is now in receipt of the Planning Appeals Commission’s Report into the Independent Examination, as well as a Direction from the Department for Infrastructure under section 12(1)(b) of the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 relating to the adoption of the Plan Strategy.
Notice is hereby given that we are publishing the following documents, which take account of the modifications to the draft Plan Strategy required under the Departmental Direction. These can be viewed via the links below, from 1 April 2025 for a period of public consultation:
Please note, comments are invited on these 3 documents only. This is not an opportunity to provide comment on the Departmental Direction, PAC Report, nor the content of the draft Plan Strategy.
Any comments must be received by no later than 5pm on 15 April 2025 and can be made by email to forwardplanningteam@antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk or by post to the Planning Section, Mossley Mill, Carnmoney Road North, Newtownabbey, BT36 5QA.
Copies of the consultation documents are also available to view between 08:30hrs and 17:00hrs at the Council’s Offices at Mossley Mill, Carnmoney Road North, Newtownabbey, and Antrim Civic Centre, 50 Stiles Way, Antrim.
Draft Plan Strategy – Publication of PAC Advisory Report and Departmental Direction
Following the conclusion of the Independent Examination of the Council’s Draft Plan Strategy (DPS) in June 2022, the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) has now completed its Advisory Report. On 4 October 2023, the PAC forwarded this Advisory Report to the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) for consideration.
Having considered the Advisory Report from the PAC, on 27 September 2024 DfI issued a Direction to the Council. The DPS was found to be sound, subject to 93 modifications identified by DfI. DfI now directs the Council to adopt the DPS under section 12(1)(b) of the Planning Act (NI) 2011.
The Council is now publishing the PAC Advisory Report and the Departmental Direction.
View a copy of the PAC Advisory Report.
View a copy of the Departmental Direction.
The Council will now consider the content of the Departmental Direction, including the requirement to update the Sustainability Appraisal and any other statutory assessments as necessary and move to adopt the Plan Strategy at a future date to be determined.
Further details in relation to progress on the adoption of the DPS, including the publication of updates to the Sustainability Appraisal and any other statutory assessments, will be published on this webpage.
-
Draft Plan Strategy and Associated Documents Publication
The Plan Strategy is one of two development plan documents which, when read together, will comprise the LDP for the Borough. The second document is the Local Policies Plan and this will be brought forward by the Council once the Plan Strategy has been adopted.
Our Draft Plan Strategy (DPS) and all associated documents are available to download from the Draft Plan Document Library section of this page. For further details you can also refer to our published list of documentation.
.jpg.aspx "LDP-Cover-(1).jpg")
-
Draft Plan Strategy Consultation
The draft Plan Strategy was published for a four-week period of pre-consultation running from 28 June 2019 to 25 July 2019. A formal period of public consultation ran from 26 July 2019 to 20 September 2019.
All representations to the draft Plan Strategy were made publicly available for an 8-week period for counter representations which ran from Friday 11 October 2019 to Friday 6 December 2019.
All representations received to the Draft Plan Strategy are available to view and download from the Section 2A - C of our Formal Submission to DfI:
-
DPS Counter Representations Consultation
In accordance with Regulation 19 of the Planning (Local Development Plan) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015, all representations received to our DPS Counter Representation consultation were published for inspection.
All representations received to this consultation are available to view and download below from the Section 2D of our Formal Submission to DfI:
Please be aware that there is no opportunity to make any further representations at this time.
-
Draft Plan Strategy Submission
In accordance with Section 10 of the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 and Regulation 20 of The Planning (Local Development Plan) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015, the Council submitted its Local Development 2030 Draft Plan Strategy (DPS) and associated documents to the Department for Infrastructure (the Department) on 08 March 2021.
The submission of the documents to the Department (Submission Documents) forms the first step of the Independent Examination for the Local Development Plan process. In accordance with Regulation 21 of The Planning (Local Development Plan) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015, the Council has advertised this step and the availability of the relevant documents within a Public Notice advertised during the week commencing 5 April 2021.
The documents submitted to the Department are provided in the Draft Plan Strategy Document Library section of this page, under the Draft Plan Submission section. In addition to the previously published information there are number of new documents included in this section including:
-
Soundness Report and appendices (DPS-S-007A – G) – the self assessment of the Plan’s soundness;
-
Public Consultation Report (DPS-S-001) and accompanying documentation (DPS-S-002 to DPS-S-004) setting out a summary of how the Council considered representations to our DPS, including two focussed papers in relation to housing growth (DPS-S-005) and affordable housing issues (DPS-S-006) raised during the public consultation on the DPS.
Please be aware that there is no opportunity to make further representations at this time.
As a consequence of current COVID-19 restrictions, the submission documents will not be available for public inspection at either of its Council offices at this time.
When restrictions allow, the submission documents will be available to view in person by appointment only, between 08:30 and 17:00hrs at Mossley Mill (Carnmoney Northern, Road, Newtownabbey) and Antrim Civic Centre (50 Stiles Way, Antrim). Alternatively, hard copies are also available by post upon request, however these may incur a charge. Please contact planning@antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk or by telephone the Planning Section on 0300 123 6677 to make an appointment.
-
Draft Plan Strategy Document Library
Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council – Local Development Plan
Submission List of Documents submitted to the DfI for the purposes of causing an Independent Examination.
Following the Council’s submission in March 2021, the Department requested some minor additional information in relation to the Council’s original soundness report (DPS-S-007A) which does not impact on the overall soundness of the Plan.
As a result, the Council has prepared the following additional information:
Other timetables are contained within Appendix 5 (DPS-S-007F) of Section 4 of the DfI Documents Submission Section.
-
ANBC Formal Submission of Documents List
Click here to view the formal submission of documents list.
-
PAC Advisory Report issued to Department for Infrastructure
Latest News – Draft Plan Strategy – Completion of PAC Advisory Report
Following the conclusion of the Independent Examination of the Council’s Draft Plan Strategy in June 2022, the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) has now completed its Advisory Report. On 4 October 2023, the PAC forwarded this Advisory Report to the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) for consideration. This report has not been issued to the Council, and its release is a matter for the Department.
Whilst the Council is not aware of the detailed content of the report, it is expected to make recommendations to the Department as to whether the Draft Plan Strategy should be adopted with, or without modifications, or withdrawn. The report will also give reasons for those recommendations. The Department estimates that its consideration should take approximately 12 weeks, however this timescale will depend on the nature and scale of the recommendations made, and implications for any modifications required.
Having considered the Advisory Report from the PAC, the Department will issue a Direction to the Council instructing that the Draft Plan Strategy is adopted with or without modifications, or that it is withdrawn.
Further updates on the progress of the Council’s Local Development Plan, including the Draft Local Policies Plan, will be provided here, in the Latest News. Alternatively, you can sign up to receive our Local Development Plan emails to keep up to date with the progress of the Plan and any upcoming events. If you would like to receive these emails, please send your details, including name, address and email address to planning@antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk, or download and complete the ‘Community Involvement’ form HERE and forward it to the Planning Section via post or email.
(contact details can be found at the bottom of this page).