An ongoing review into planning permission rules for farm buildings will be subject to approval from DAERA Minister Edwin Poots.

The review into planning rules on ammonia emissions is being conducted by the NI Environment Agency, which is part of DAERA.

“The Minister will be considering the outworkings of the review of the operational protocol in the coming weeks,” a department spokesperson told the Irish Farmers Journal.

The NIEA review could have far-reaching implications for the future growth of NI farm businesses.

The Minister will be considering the outworkings of the review of the operational protocol in the coming weeks

Planners assessing farm building applications consult NIEA, or when the building is close to internationally designated sites, the application is passed to Shared Environmental Services (SES).

SES withdrew its planning guidance on ammonia last week, pending the outcome of the ongoing NIEA review.

The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has been highly critical of both SES and NIEA guidance in the past.

In particular, the UFU said that it was “virtually impossible” for farm building applications to meet ammonia emission thresholds set by SES.

DAERA is also in the process of producing new advice and guidance related to ammonia.

The UFU said that it was “virtually impossible” for farm building applications to meet ammonia emission thresholds

“The ammonia action plan will contain a series of practical on-farm measures aimed at achieving tangible and sustained reductions in ammonia emissions across NI,” the department spokesperson said.

“DAERA intends to consult on the ammonia action plan later this year,” the spokesperson added

DAERA is also likely to seek views from industry stakeholders and the public on its review into planning permission rules.

DAERA intends to consult on the ammonia action plan later this year

SES changed its planning guidance on ammonia last summer without prior consultation and was subsequently met with legal proceedings from the UFU.

One possibility is that DAERA consults on both the ammonia action plan and its review into planning guidance at the same time.

“The relationship between the timing of the Action Plan consultation and the NIEA Operational Protocol will be part of the Minister’s considerations,” the DAERA spokesperson confirmed.

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