This has been an important year for planning law in Northern Ireland (NI). Major reforms were introduced by the Planning Reform (NI) Order 2006 and secondary legislation and future amendments have been announced with proposals for the Review of Public Administration, likely to take effect in 2009.

The 2006 Order brought in many of the reforms introduced in England and Wales by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, with many of the provisions coming into effect from June.