'It has ground to a halt': Figures reveal two-thirds of Environment Agency's responses overdue

Daniel McCrossan, SDLP farming and environment spokesman, had discovered that there is currently a queue of 526 planning applications which NIEA is obliged to file reports on.

Out of those 526, some 364 reports "have exceeded the statutory consultation period" (which is typically 21 days).

That amounts to about 69% of the total.

Whenever big planning applications are submitted, there is often a range of government bodies that have to give their input before a decision can be reached: for example, NIEA, NI Water, the Roads Service, the Historic Environment Division, and more.

They are known as statutory consultees.

The 364 late responses uncovered by McCrossan only relate to NIEA; they do not take account of all responses from every other agency which may also be late.

The News Letter has reported many times recently on the fact that Northern Ireland's creaking water and sewage network is causing planning applications to be rejected on the grounds that the system is already too strained.

Now Mr McCrossan says the figures he has uncovered (via an Assembly question to NIEA's parent body, DAERA) are further evidence "that our planning system has effectively ground to a halt".

He said: "This means that a wide variety of projects, from much-needed homes to the expansion of businesses and community and leisure facilities, are being subjected to undue delays.

“The impact of this will be felt across our society.

"It means more people on housing waiting lists, jobs and investment being missed out on, and communities not having their basic needs met.

"These delays will mean projects get more expensive, leaving some developers to think twice about proceeding.

"It’s clear that the current system isn’t working."

As to what he wants to see happen, he said he “doesn’t think it is right that there is currently no consequence if a consultee misses the deadline – the only people who suffer are the applicants”.

Mr McCrossan added: “These delays cannot be helped by the fact that the NIEA is currently down a third of its staff.

"These applications will never be processed in a timely manner with the NIEA functioning so far from full capacity and until this is addressed delays will continue and get worse.

“It’s clear that the process around statutory consultees needs serious reform if progress is to be made and I have directly challenged the DAERA minister on these delays and to bring forward solutions to clear this backlog and get our planning system back on its feet.”

Mr McCrossan was referring to the fact that there are currently NIEA 615 staff, and 200 vacancies.

And when it comes to NIEA staff that specifically handle responses to planning applications, there are 40 permanent staff, eight temps, and 23 vacancies.

When Mr McCrossan's points were put to it, DAERA said: "NIEA confirms there is a caseload and backlog of planning consultations awaiting a response from NIEA at this level.

"The whole planning system is complex and NIEA is one of a number of statutory consultees.

“We acknowledge the delays that NIEA is experiencing in the provision of advice to planning authorities and we are taking steps to address this and improve our overall customer service.

“NIEA has a high vacancy rate... NIEA is actively progressing the filling of the vacancies through the NI civil service recruitment process.”