Investigation reports

We asked Mid and East Antrim Council to apologise to a man for failures in the way it dealt with a planning application.

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council failed to fully record the reasons why it approved a planning application for a domestic garage.  However, we found it would not have reached a different decision had the failings not occurred.

This report was prepared in response to concerns about the protection given to trees and the lack of enforcement action following reported breaches of Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs).

We reminded Mid and East Antrim Borough Council of its record keeping responsibilities following our investigation of a complaint brought by an MLA.  We also asked it to consider developing a formal policy around the role of public representatives in the planning process.

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council failed to provide an applicant with the reasons why its Planning Committee deferred a decision on his planning application.  An Ombudsman's report was also critical of excessive delays when responding to the applicant's concerns.

The Ombudsman has criticised aspects of the way Mid & East Antrim Borough Council handled a planning application for an update of existing sports facilities at St Patrick’s College, Ballymena.

The Ombudsman has found that an application to build a residential nursing home in County Down was, in part, incorrectly assessed by planners.

An investigation by the Public Services Ombudsman has found that Mid & East Antrim Borough Council dealt properly with a planning application for a house extension, despite objections from the applicant’s neighbours.

A man’s complaint about how his planning application was dealt with has been partially upheld by the Public Services Ombudsman.