Planning Portal NI

A new Planning Portal launched on the 5th December 2022 for 10 of the 11 Councils in Northern Ireland and the Department.

10 Councils including Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and Northern Ireland’s Department for Infrastructure have been working collaboratively to develop and configure a new IT system with TerraQuest, the company contracted to deliver and support the system going forward.

This work has involved engagement with key stakeholders including Staff, Consultees, Agents and other organisations in order to ensure that the IT system provides the essential functionality needed to support the wider planning system.

This is the largest joint IT project between central and local government to date in Northern Ireland and will see benefits for all users as we seek to drive planning online in this digital age.

Benefits:

• Deliver enhanced interfaces for users, including submitting applications, making payments and accessing information.
• Enables planning services to be delivered in line with the legislative framework in Northern Ireland.
• Remove the need for paper-based transactions and processes, moving planning, and the regional property certificates unit; to provide a fully digital solution.
• Enable full automation in the delivery of planning services and regional property certificates and the rationalisation and simplification of workflows and processes.
• Allow the Council to deliver planning services with a reduced resource requirement.
• Provide the capability to enhance mobile support for planning officers to undertake remote working.
• Increase the opportunity for users to self-serve when accessing planning services (i.e. access services online without having to telephone/write to authorities).
• Enable users to more easily track the application process by accessing up-to-date (i.e. real time) information online.