Land value capture has become an important mechanism for funding infrastructure and public goods by harnessing increases in land value generated through planning decisions. Among the most widely used forms in the United Kingdom are negotiated Developer Contributions (DCs), yet their adoption and operation remain uneven across jurisdictions. This paper examines the emergence and implementation of DCs in Northern Ireland following the 2015 reform of local government, which transferred planning powers to local authorities for the first time and created new opportunities for this use.

Drawing on a mixed-methods research design combining policy analysis, questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews, the study provides the first comprehensive assessment of the development of DCs in Northern Ireland. It investigates both the practical operation of the mechanism and the perspectives of public, private, and civil society stakeholders regarding its purpose and future role within the planning system.

The findings reveal significant tensions and competing narratives surrounding the function of DCs. While some stakeholders frame them principally as a regulatory tool to mitigate development impacts and ensure development acceptability, others advocate a more expansive role, positioning DCs as a mechanism for capturing development value to deliver wider public benefits and support strategic planning objectives. The Northern Ireland case demonstrates how an emerging planning culture can create conditions for contestation, shaping power relations and reinforcing ambiguity regarding the role of DCs. The study contributes to wider debates on land value capture, governance, and planning reform by highlighting the challenges of embedding new policy instruments within evolving institutional contexts.