The Department of Planning’s online application system is to go temporarily offline this week for a scheduled upgrade.

A spokesman said that the customer self-service portal and the enterprise permitting and licensing system will both be taken offline at 6pm on Thursday.

They are expected to go back online on Saturday.

During the down period, no new applications can be submitted and existing applications will not be accessible.

“The restoration time will depend on successful testing to ensure the systems are fully operational,” the spokesman said.

He added that any inspection requests made for Friday must be rescheduled before 3pm on Thursday, and any deadlines falling on Friday will automatically be extended to Monday.

“Should any unexpected issues arise, measures are in place to minimise disruption and we will communicate directly with affected customers,” the spokesman added.

“The Department of Planning thanks the public for their patience and co-operation as we work to provide a more secure, reliable and efficient service following the migration.”