Making an Application
The new IT System for Planning went live on 5th December 2022. Applicants, agents – and any third parties who may have an interest in a particular application – are asked to note that under the new IT System the functionality of the system has changed and language/terminology used on the system is different to that used under the old system. In particular, it should be noted that unlike the old IT system, the status of an application on the new IT system will no longer change when the application has been placed on a delegated list. Therefore, the onus is on applicants, agents and any third parties who may have an interest in a particular application to check the weekly delegated lists which appear on the Council’s website every Thursday evening to determine if an application has been placed on the delegated list at www.armaghbanbridgecraigavon.gov.uk/resident/planning-applications-residents/
Members of the public should also note there are a number of identified technical issues with the new system. The performance of the system will continue to be monitored as part of the normal service management arrangements and the Council is working closely with the stakeholders including the suppliers to resolve the outstanding issues. Any issues of concern regarding the new planning IT system should be forwarded to
Most people realise that they may need approval for their proposed building work but don’t always understand the difference between building regulations and planning permission. You might need one or the other, both, or neither, but you must find out before you start any work.
Planning is interested in the way our towns, cities and countryside is developed. This includes the appearance of buildings, the use of land & landscaping considerations, highway access and the impact that the development will have on the general environment. Planning permission is NOT usually required for most internal alterations, for some extensions, some loft conversions or some garages.
Building Regulations deal mainly with health and safety matters in the interest of the people who will use the building. They also include requirements to ensure that fuel and power is conserved and facilities are provided for people, including those with disabilities, to access and move around inside buildings.
If you are in any doubt about whether you need to apply for planning permission or building regulations approval, please check with us before you start any work.
The type of work you intend to carry out will determine if you need planning permission, the type of application you need to make and if you need building regulation approval.
Our planning office, located at
Bridgewater House,
23a Castlewellan Road,
Banbridge,
Co. Down
BT32 4AX
Opening from 9.30am – 4.30pm on Mon – Wed & Fri and from 10.30am – 4.30pm on Thursday. From here you can pick up an application form, submit a completed application, pay fees and check the status of an application.
Planning queries should be directed to 0300 200 7830 or
However, should you have difficulty in getting through on the 0300 phone number, and you know the name of the planning officer you wish to contact, they can be emailed directly. Planning Officers Email Addresses
The type, size and complexity of an application will determine how a decision is made. There are three ways in which a decision can be made:
- Our Planning Committee will consider all major applications and others it feels may be of significance for the council area.
- A planning officer may have the authority to determine smaller, more straightforward applications.
- The Department for Infrastructure will make decisions that have regional significance.
Our Scheme of Delegation document sets out full details.
| Title | Size | Download |
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| Scheme of Delegation | 139.67 KB | DownloadPreview |
| Planning Protocol | 214.94 KB | DownloadPreview |
| Interim Protocol & Summary Guidance - 11.06.20 | 233.43 KB | DownloadPreview |
- To make additions or extensions to a flat or maisonette (including those converted from houses). (You do not need planning permission to carry out internal alterations or work which does not affect the external appearance of the building.)
- To divide off part of your house for use as a separate home (for example, a self-contained flat or bed-sit) or use a caravan in your garden as a home for someone else. (You do not need planning permission to let one or two of your rooms to lodgers so long as the main use remains that of a private residence.)
- To build a separate house in your garden
- To divide off part of your home for business or commercial use (for example, a workshop) or you want to build a parking place for a commercial vehicle at your home.
- To build something which goes against the terms of the original planning permission for your house – for example, your house may have been built with a restriction to stop people putting up fences in front gardens because it is on an “open plan” estate. Planning Service has a record of all planning permissions in your area
- The work you want to do might obstruct the view of road users
- The work would involve a new or wider access to a trunk or classified road
Other small changes, for example putting up walls and fences below a certain height, have a general planning permission for which a specific application is not required.
If you are unsure if you require planning permission, you should discuss your proposals with us or Planning Service Headquarters before you begin any work.
Pre-Application Advice
Pre application advice will give clients background information necessary prior to submitting an application as follows:
- The advice will be based upon site appraisal, site history, site constraints, relevant planning polices and level of technical information required
- The advice will be shared in a standardised report within 10 working days of a valid submission
- The fee for this service is £76.50 (Householder, commercial under 200m², Charity, Community and Listed Buildings are exempt)
To request Pre-application Advice, email the planning department at: . Your request should be accompanied with the following information:
- A covering letter detailing your proposal
- A completed pre-application advice instruction form
- A site location plan
- Information about the existing use, floor space, occupation and number of car parking spaces on the site
- Drawings and photographs to describe the site and building(s) as they currently exist
- Photographs of the immediate surroundings
- A full set of electronic drawings to describe the proposal
- Receipt of payment or cheque covering the pre-application fee
- Your contact address, email and telephone number.
It is also advisable to look at the planning policies in the Local plan, and Planning Policy Statements.
The fee should be received at the initial request stage.
We aim to send you a written report of the points within 10 working days of receipt of the request.
Pre-Application Discussions
Pre-application discussions will give clients background information necessary prior to making a decision to submit an application following a consideration of the proposed concept
- The advice will be based upon site appraisal, site history, site constraints, relevant planning polices and level of technical information required
- Planning Officers will visit the site and arrange a meeting with you and your team to discuss your proposal in detail
- The advice and discussion will be shared in a report within 21 working days from the date of the initial meeting
The fee for this service is scaled.
Local (Small scale) £510 2-9 residential units or 200-1999m² commercial
Local £663 10- 49 residential units or 2000 – 4900m² commercial
Major £816 50 & above residential units or 5000m² & above commercial
*Additional site visits £150 and additional meetings £150
(Householder, commercial* under 200m², Charity, Community and Listed Buildings are exempt)
*Commercial includes retail, office and economic development uses as defined in PPS4
To request a pre-application discussion meeting, email the planning department at using the header PREAPPLICATION DISCUSSION .Your request should be accompanied with the following information:
- A covering letter detailing your proposal
- A completed pre-application instruction form
- A site location plan
- Information about the existing use, floor space, occupation and number of car parking spaces on the site
- Drawings and photographs to describe the site and building(s) as they currently exist
- Photographs of the immediate surroundings
- Technical studies if available. For example transport, flood risk, drainage, contamination risk and trees
- A full set of electronic drawings to describe the proposal
- Receipt of payment or cheque covering the pre-application fee
- Your contact address, email and telephone number.
It is also advisable to look at the planning policies in the Local plan, and Planning Policy Statements.
The full fee should be received at the initial request stage.
We aim to arrange a meeting with you within 10 working days from the date of a valid request with a written report of the points within 21 working days from the meeting. We may request an extension of time depending on the scale of the proposal or constraints of the site; however we will discuss this with you at the outset to agree a revised timeframe/
On receipt of the complete package of information, we will contact you to set up a meeting with the relevant officers. Those attending the meeting will be selected depending on the scale and nature of the proposal, the location of the site and the likely issues it raises.
You must provide the name and job title of each attendee. Any documents you wish to discuss at the meeting must be provided at time of initial submission.
There are three types of planning applications:
- Local applications: these are typically smaller, more straightforward applications
- Major applications: larger, more complex applications with pre-application requirements
- Regionally significant applications: these applications will be determined by the Department of the Environment
If you want to submit a major application, you need to consult with the community on your proposals before submitting your application.
Forms for local and major applications are available in two ways:
- Print the form from the Planning NI website and complete it and return to us at Bridgewater House, 23a Castlewellan Road, Banbridge, Co. Down, BT32 4AX
- Call into our planning office and collect the relevant application form to complete and return
Our application checklists enable customers to submit all necessary information from the outset to enable us to process your development proposal in a timely manner.
The Basic Requirements and Validation Checklist sets out the information that you need to submit with your application for it to be ‘valid’ and processed by us.
The information we need will fall into two categories:
- Basic Requirements – this information is set regionally and applies to the whole of Northern Ireland.
- Validation Checklist – additional information required by us to fully assess applications in this Council Area.
Basic Requirements
Planning legislation sets out the minimum information that you must submit when making a planning application. Without this information, your application is not valid and we cannot lawfully process it.
This basic requirements checklist provides a summary of the types of basic information that may be required with your application depending on its nature, scale and location.
Advice is provided on the right hand side, which provides detailed guidance on the basic information you will need to submit. We ask that you carefully consider all this advice when submitting your application, as it will help ensure you’ve a valid application at the outset.
Additional information
New legislation (Planning (General Development Procedure) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024) enabled the Council to publish a Planning Application Validation Checklist that sets out additional information requirements above the basic information.
Please be advised we are asking for a biodiversity checklist to be competed as a minimum on all Outline and Full application (unless minor development).
When we receive your application, we will decide whether additional information is required, on a case-by-case basis according to the nature, scale and location of the proposal.
Requesting additional information
We afford you 2 working days to address the comments from the validation officer, if all is not or cannot be addressed within that timeframe, we will return your application to allow you more time to address the issues and / or to gather all the necessary information to ensure your application is appropriately front loaded for you to resubmit, this also ensures your applicant does not run the risk of a refusal on this proposal on lack of information.
We will hold your fee for 4 weeks to allow for your new submission.
Can I appeal?
Yes, where an application is submitted not in compliance with the validation checklist, the Council may ultimately issue a formal notice of non-compliance with the checklist. You will have the ability to lodge an appeal to the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) within 14 days from the date of the notice. The PAC will preside over the appeal and determine whether the additional information in question is necessary. Where the appeal is allowed, the applicant may resubmit the application to the council without the originally requested information.
Your application must be accompanied by the appropriate fee and supporting documentation to be processed. For more information on fees visit the planning portal.
You can pay your fee in one of two ways:
- pay by cheque – make it payable to Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council
- pay by cash (up to a maximum of £1000) at Bridgewater House, 23a Castlewellan Road, Banbridge, Co. Down, BT32 4AX
Completed application forms and fees can be submitted:
- by post (please enclose a cheque made payable to Armagh City Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council)
- in person at our planning office at Bridgewater House, 23a Castlewellan Road, Banbridge, Co. Down, BT32 4AX
We’re unable to offer an online application or payment service at this time.
If you’d like to speak to our planning committee about a planning application. You will need to have the application reference number and you must submit the request before mid-day 2 days before the committee meeting.
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| Speaking Rights at Council | 225.66 KB | DownloadPreview |
| Running Order | 16.23 KB | DownloadPreview |
Building Control
View information on making a building control application here