Section 79: Land belonging to councils and development by councils
This section introduces new powers setting out the procedure for dealing with councils' own applications for planning permission. The new powers are introduced to ensure councils do not face a conflict of interest in dealing with their own proposals for development. Provisions are introduced for councils to grant planning permission for their own development or for development carried out jointly with another person and for development to be carried out on land owned by councils.
Specifically, the new powers enable the Department to make regulations modifying the application of Parts 3 (Planning Control), 4 (Additional Planning Control - apart from Chapters 1 and 2 of that Part) and 5 (Enforcement) of the Planning Act in relation to land of interested councils; and the development of any land by interested councils jointly with any other persons. The regulations will deal with governance arrangements and will ensure that conflicts of interest are avoided.