The Environment Minister, Mark H Durkan, has launched a 12 week consultation on proposals for planning reform and its transfer to new councils.
The Minister is seeking views on the improvements he intends to introduce in planning as a result of the new two-tier system in Northern Ireland.
Under the review of public administration (RPA), responsibility for the majority of planning functions will transfer to the new councils in April 2015 who will operate as the local planning authorities for their areas.
The changes will see the return of local accountability to the planning system. Councils will be responsible for developing their own local development plan setting the context for development proposals in the future. They will also determine the vast majority of planning applications with only a small percentage of regionally significant applications being decided by the Department of the Environment. Councils will also take the lead on all enforcement activity where there have been alleged breaches of planning control.