In early January, Belfast Healthy Cities was invited to submit written evidence on the Planning Bill, for consideration by the Assembly Committee for the Environment during the Bill committee stage.

In total, 37 organisations submitted evidence to the Committee, and the committee organised a stakeholder event on Thursday 27 January where all organisations had an opportunity to present evidence directly. Belfast Healthy Cities was invited for the first time to give a presentation as part of such a session, and gave a five minute introduction on Third Party Right of Appeal, which was intended to outline the issues and start off the debate.

The submission focuses on wellbeing and having it incorporated as a legislative aim of planning.