In May, we posted on the state of ecclesiastical exemption from listed building controls in the four jurisdictions and noted that there is no list of exempt denominations in Northern Ireland where, instead, the ecclesiastical exemption as it currently stands applies to all listed places of worship.

On 18 March, Environment Minister Mark Durkan launched a consultation on a proposal to remove the ecclesiastical exemption: his proposal was that the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland (DOENI) should issue an order under s 85(9) Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 to remove the exemption. Continue reading →