Monitoring

We monitor a range of statistics. This helps us to check that our planning policies are doing what they are meant to do. 

It also helps provide the evidence we need for developing future policies and helps to inform decisions we make on planning applications. 

Annual Monitoring Report

The Planning Act (NI) 2011 requires us to make an annual report to the Department for Infrastructure assessing how well the objectives set out in the Local Development Plan are being achieved. We’re preparing a new Local Development Plan for Belfast and will start preparing these Annual Monitoring Reports once it is adopted.

Housing Land Availability Monitor

The annual Housing Monitor measures how many additional homes are built in the city. It helps to inform the preparation of our new Local Development Plan for Belfast, contributing to future decisions about where houses should be built. It provides a picture of the amount of land available for new houses as of 1 April each year.

Monitoring has been ongoing across Belfast since the late 1990s under the former Department for Environment’s (DOE) Planning Service. The future Housing Monitor in Belfast will operate with a baseline position of 31 March 2015, which is when the responsibility for planning transferred to the council.

Housing Land Availability Monitor Summary Reports

These reports are available to download from the Local Development Plan document library:

• 2018-2019 report
• 2017-2018 report - updated July 2019
• 2016-2017 report 
• 2015-2016 report 

Housing Land Availability Monitor Viewer

Information on the location and details of sites monitored as part of the most recent Housing Land Availability Monitor can be accessed using our online Housing Land Availability Monitor Viewer (opens in new window).