The Town Planning Act 1928 provided for the creation of the Town Planning Board to advise the Minister on all matters relating to provisions of the Act. The Board was also responsible for the approval of all subdivisions of land in the State and became the authority for the preparation of Government Town Planning Schemes.

On 5 December 1985, the functions of the Town Planning Board were passed to the State Planning Commission. The State Planning Commission then delegated its powers in relation to subdivisions to a new body, the Land Development Committee. This was changed in September 1986 when the Land Subdivision Committee was created. At this time, the State Planning Commission also delegated certain subdivision powers to senior (public service) positions within the Commission. These principally related to applications which complied with the established policy of the Commission. The Committee (which became the Committee for Statutory Procedures in March 1987) became responsible for decisions only on the more important or unusual applications.