A Strategic Review of the Planning Appeals Commission

Significant backlogs and long delays within the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC), together with insufficient accountability arrangements and strained relationships, are contributing to constraints on the wider planning system’s ability to support Northern Ireland’s economic and environmental development. That is the conclusion of this report, published Thursday 21 May 2026, by the Comptroller and Auditor General.

Dorinnia Carville’s report on ‘A Strategic Review of the Planning Appeals Commission’ examines PAC delivery over recent years and the impact this has had on planning outcomes. It sets out the important role of the PAC, which is responsible for hearing and deciding on planning appeals, conducting public inquiries and hearings, and reporting on some of the most complex and economically significant development proposals.