Northern Ireland Planning Bar Association Very happy as NIPBA Chair to have participated in this afternoon's constructive and promising virtual conference with the PAC. The ball has started rolling! Vital that the PAC receives all the support and resources it needs for this new approach to prove the success it must be.

Well done, William

NI: Planning system to pilot remote hearings within four to six weeks Northern Ireland Planning Bar Association William Orbinson KC buff.ly/2MjUVkP

NIPBA is delighted to announce that the Planning Appeals Commission will be holding its first virtual pilot hearing on 30th June.

New air conditioning advice after WHO’s evidence of airborne risk digitaleditions.telegraph.co.uk/data/287/reade…

Thinking about the huge risks that the former PAC approach to hearings would have involved. Small, overpacked, steamy rooms, minimal ventilation, an infection bomb. Great that the PAC has, responsibly, embraced virtual hearings, in the exercise of its duty of care to attendees.

Worth all public bodies remembering the obligation under the Health & Safety at Work (NI) Order 78 to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, that persons not in their employ are not exposed by their undertaking to risks to their health & safety.

Extremely serious obligation, breach of which is apt to expose senior officials to prosecution.

Oh, nearly forgot, and corporate manslaughter charges as well, for senior officials. Let’s keep it real!

The other thing that people seem to forget is the risk of contact infection, so that everything that people touch or might touch would need to be deep-cleaned directly before an event. Read Anthony Fauci interviewed in the FT - he insisted on chair & desk being sanitised first.

Our Chair, William Orbinson QC, will participate in the PAC engagement group this Friday. Looking forward to an update on progress made in rolling out virtual hearings.

Our Chair, William Orbinson QC, participated in today's PAC engagement group. Good to see that strong progress is being made to roll out virtual appeal hearings, and to extend that approach to the Commission's hear and report functions.

The Housing Executive is allowing ten companies to walk away from planned maintenance contracts, as severe construction price inflation meant they would have not have been able to perform the contracts at the price agreed two years ago.

Get in touch if you would like to find out more

Our 2023 programme continues with a seminar on current planning and environmental law issues in Northern Ireland on 26 April led by a senior legal figure. This will be preceded by our AGM. All welcome to attend. Register here: protect-eu.mimecast.com/s/eQh8CAQnOiNv…

LawPod is seeking enthusiastic students to take part in podcasting this year. Follow the link below to find out more and apply.

A fast changing Belfast skyline.

Pre-Application Community Consultation now available for Bankmore Square which proposes Grade A Office development for Kainos and Purpose-Built Managed Student Accommodation for QUB at 14 Dublin Road, Belfast, BT2 7HN - bankmoresquare.com

Here's what the new Kainos office could look like on the Dublin Road in Belfast. Part of site will also be student accommodation owned by Queen's