Council launches Planning Validation Checklist

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council has launched a new Planning Validation Checklist to help improve the quality of planning applications and support a more efficient application process across the district. 

Developed following consultation with the public and interested parties, the Validation Checklist sets out the level and type of information and supporting documents required when submitting a planning application. This will help ensure applications are valid on receipt and can be processed without avoidable delays.

The revised Validation Checklist procedures, which have been formally adopted by the Council’s Planning Committee and will take effect from Monday 1 June 2026.

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Philip Campbell, a former member of the Council’s Planning Committee, said, “This Council continues to lead the way in the number of planning applications received each year. It is therefore extremely important that we improve the efficiency of how planning applications are received and processed. The Validation Checklist will enable us to do that.”

The Planning Department has also provided guidance notes to accompany the Checklist, which clarifies the information that should be submitted with a planning application. All documents are available to view at www.newrymournedown.org/planning