The Planning(Northern Ireland) Order 1991

Notice requiring planning application

23.—(1) Where it appears to the Department that development has been carried out—

(a) without the grant of the planning permission required in that behalf in accordance with this Part; or

(b) without the grant of any approval of the Department required in that behalf under a development order;

the Department may issue a notice under this Article requiring the making of an application for such planning permission or approval to the Department within 28 days from the service of the notice.

(2) A notice under this Article may be issued only within the period of four years from the date on which the development to which it relates was begun; and the provisions of Article 36(1) apply in determining for the purpose of this Article when development shall be taken to be begun.

(3) A notice under this Article shall specify the matters alleged to constitute the development to which the notice relates.

(4) A copy of a notice under this Article shall be served on the owner and on the occupier of the land to which it relates.

(5) Where a copy of a notice under this Article has been served on any person referred to in paragraph (4), then if the application referred to in the notice is not made to the Department within the period allowed for compliance with the notice, that person shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

(6) If a person against whom proceedings are brought under paragraph (5)—

(a) was, at the time when the copy of the notice under this Article was served on him, the owner of the land to which the notice relates; but

(b) has, at some time before the end of the period allowed for compliance with the notice, ceased to be the owner of that land, he shall, upon a complaint duly made by him and on giving to the prosecution not less than three days' notice of his intention, be entitled to have the person who then became the owner of the land (in paragraph (7) referred to as the “subsequent owner”) brought before the court in the proceedings.

(7) If after it has been proved, in a case to which paragraph (6) applies, that the application referred to in the notice under this Article has not been made within the period allowed for compliance with the notice, the original defendant proves that the failure to make that application was attributable, in whole or in part, to the default of the subsequent owner—

(a) the subsequent owner may be convicted of the offence; and

(b) the original defendant, if he further proves that he took all reasonable steps to secure compliance with the notice, shall be acquitted of the offence.

(8) If, after a person has been convicted under paragraphs (5) to (7), the application referred to in the notice under this Article is not made to the Department, he shall be guilty of a further offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding one-tenth of level 3 on the standard scale for each day following his first conviction on which the offence continues.

(9) The Department may, at any time before the end of the period allowed for compliance with a notice under this Article, withdraw the notice.

(10) If it does so the Department shall forthwith give notice of the withdrawal to every person who was served with a copy of the notice.

(11) Any reference in this Article and Article 24 to the period allowed for compliance with a notice under this Article is a reference to the period mentioned in paragraph (1) or such extended period as may be allowed by the Department for compliance with the notice.

(12) For the purposes of this Article an application to the Department for any planning permission or approval shall not be taken tobe made unless it is accompanied by the fee prescribed under Article 127 in relation to that application.