Regional Policy Context
The RDS provides the
strategic context for the delivery of community services including education
and health care and includes Strategic Planning Guidelines
and measures for
Northern Ireland as follows:
• facilitate a
programme of infrastructure improvements essential to business needs and
identify the infrastructure of social, cultural and community facilities
which enhance the quality of life (SPG-ECON 5);
• to maintain and
enhance identifiable local centre’s of commerce and community services
throughout the Metropolitan Area (BMA 2.1); and
• to improve
employability through lifelong learning and personal development and
meet the educational and training needs of the region (SPG-ECON 6).
The Rural Strategy contains
current regional policies for community needs. Policy SETT 6 of the Plan
extends the application of the extant policies of Rural Strategy
to the
entire Plan Area.
Supplementary Planning
Guidance is contained in Development Control Advice
Note 9 ‘Residential and
Nursing Homes’ and Development Control Advice Note 13 ‘Crèches, Day
Nurseries and Pre-school Playgroups’.
The Department has
consulted the relevant bodies with statutory responsibility
for service
provision. The Plan identifies sufficient land to meet the needs of the
service providers within the Plan Area. Specific proposals are contained in
the
relevant District Proposals.
Education Facilities
The Department of Education
(DE) and the Department of Employment and
Learning (DEL), retain overall
responsibility for education, policy and finance.
Responsibility for the
provision of primary and post primary educational facilities
and library
facilities in the Plan Area rests mainly with the following providers:
• Belfast Education and
Library Board (BELB);
• Comhairle na Gaelscolaiochta (Council for Irish Medium Education);
• Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS);
• North Eastern Education and Library Board (NEELB);
• Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education (NICIE); and
• South Eastern Education and Library Board (SEELB).
Third level Education is
provided for by the Institutes of Further and Higher
Education and by Queens
University and the University of Ulster.
The Independent Review Body
on Post Primary Education reported to the Minister
for Education in 2001,
and there is the possibility that the long-term outcome of
this review may
influence the number and type of post primary schools across Northern
Ireland.
The Department of Education
has advised the Department that a combination of existing surplus places in
the system, plus the accelerating decline in the
secondary school population
will mean that educational demand in the secondary school sector in the Plan
Area over the Plan period can be met.
Capital development
projects of the Education Boards are found in their Area
Strategic
Development Plans and details from these are contained in the
Education,
Health, Community and Cultural Facilities Technical Supplement.
Queen’s University,
Belfast
Within the Plan period the
Queen’s University, Belfast is proposing significant investment in
education, health and recreational facilities including the provision
of a
new library and research and development facilities. Investment will
comprise
of a combination of new build development and
refurbishment/extension of existing facilities.
University of Ulster,
Jordanstown Campus
Within the Plan period the
University of Ulster at Jordanstown is proposing to
invest in education and
learning facilities including the development of a Science
Park providing
education related employment opportunities and a Sports Institute
for
Northern Ireland and National Centre for Rehabilitation Research.
University of Ulster, Belfast Campus, The Art College
The University of Ulster is
intending to extend and refurbish their Belfast campus within their existing
landholding within the Plan period. The University plans to
almost double
student capacity within the next five years to capitalise on recent success
in achieving national research funding for research in design, fashion,
textiles and fine arts and also to offer more courses.
Libraries
There are 44 branch
libraries and 16 mobile libraries operational in the Plan Area. Details are
contained in the Education, Health, Community and Cultural Facilities
Technical Supplement.
Education and Library
Boards are currently investigating the provision of additional libraries or
rationalisation of services. Details are set out in the relevant District
Proposals.
Health and Social
Services
The Department of Health,
Social Services and Public Safety retains overall responsibility for policy
and for the funding of major capital works. The Eastern
Health and Social
Services Board (EHSSB) and Northern Health and Social
Services Board (NHSSB)
assess the health and social care needs of the Plan
Area, in conjunction
with the smaller trust Agencies, namely:
• Belfast City Hospital
Trust;
• Down and Lisburn Trust;
• Greenpark Healthcare Trust;
• Homefirst Community Trust;
• Mater Hospital Trust;
• Ulster Community and Hospitals Trust;
• United Hospitals Trust;
• Royal Group of Hospitals and Dental Hospitals Health and Social
Services Trust;
• North & West Health and Social Services Trust; and
• South & East Health and Social Services Trust.
Health Services within BMA
are undergoing a process of rationalisation. These
are provided at the Royal
Group of Hospitals, Belfast City Hospital, the Ulster
Hospital (including
Bangor Minor Injuries Unit), the Mater Hospital, Musgrave Park Hospital, the
Lagan Valley Hospital, Whiteabbey Hospital, Forster Green and
Belvoir Park
Hospitals.
There are major
redevelopment works at the Royal Group of Hospitals, Belfast
City Hospital
and the Ulster Hospital. Musgrave Park Hospital and the Mater are
both
engaged in redevelopment plans to upgrade facilities and services at their
current sites.
It is anticipated that rationalisation of hospital services will result in
Belvoir Park Hospital and Forster Green becoming surplus to requirements
during the Plan
period.
The Ulster Independent
Clinic is also located within the Plan Area providing private health care
facilities.
The North & West and South
& East Trusts are providing new large wide-ranging health centres at
strategic locations throughout the Plan Area. This centralisation
of
services is considered as a ‘one stop shop’ concept of social and community
care in order to provide a more effective and efficient service for the
public.
It is envisaged that the
number of people in institutional care, mainly provided for
at the Knockbracken Healthcare facility, will continue to reduce, and be
supplemented by ongoing provision of care services in the community.
Details of proposals for
development and planned disposals of property are
contained in the relevant
District Proposals.
Cultural Facilities and
Arts Infrastructure
There are museums, heritage
centres, theatres, performance venues, cinemas,
and public art galleries
within the Plan Area and further investment will help Belfast
to fulfil its
role as a modern European City.
While resources have been
secured to assure the future of the Grand Opera
House, other key aspects of
cultural infrastructure in the Plan Area are either
absent or in a state of
poor repair. A National Art Gallery is required to
accommodate, as a
minimum, the important collections currently housed but not displayed in the
Ulster Museum and there is no adequate provision for artists’
studios in the
Plan Area. The Ulster Hall requires refurbishment and since the
closure of
the Civic Arts Theatre in 1997 there is a need for mid-scale performance
space to receive touring theatre productions. Among those venues whose
future is threatened by their current physical condition are the Lyric
theatre, the Old
Museum Arts Centre and the Crescent Arts Centre.
Belfast City Council aims
to produce an Integrated Cultural Strategy by 2006 to address cultural
infrastructure needs. The Belfast City Centre Regeneration Policy Framework,
produced by the Belfast Regeneration Office, Department for Social
Development, recommends as a short-term priority the continued development
of Cathedral Quarter and places particular emphasis on an iconic arts centre
development to kick start plans for the area. Such a centre is a priority of
both
the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) and the Arts Council
as a
feature of many regional capitals as it would have the potential to
stimulate the creation of an arts and cultural quarter and establish a
positive image for Belfast.
Community Facilities
District Councils are
responsible for the provision and maintenance of most
community centres.
Youth clubs operate throughout the Plan Area from various premises owned by
Councils, churches and schools. Various other organisations operate widely
throughout the Plan Area such as the YMCA, Boys Brigade, Girls Brigade, Girl
Guides, Scouts etc. There are also playgroups, youth resource and Outdoor
Education Centres within the area. Details are contained in the Education,
Health, Community and Cultural Facilities Technical Supplement.
Education, Health,
Community and Cultural Facilities Policies
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Policy CF 1
Protection of land for Education, Health, Community and Cultural
Facilities
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Planning permission will
not be granted for alternative uses or inappropriate forms of development
on lands identified for the provision of education, health, community uses
or cultural facilities.
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Lands proposed for
education, health, community and/or cultural uses by the
relevant Health or
Education Board, Local Health Trust or District Councils are identified in
the relevant District Proposals.
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Policy CF
2
Education, Health, Community and Cultural Facilities
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Planning permission will
be
granted for education, health, cultural and community facilities within
the Metropolitan Development Limit and Settlement Development Limits
provided all the following criteria are met:
-
there is no adverse
effect on the built heritage or nature
conservation interest or on
the visual or residential amenity of
those living in close proximity
to the site;
-
the
proposal does not prejudice the comprehensive development of
surrounding lands, particularly on zoned sites;
-
the
proposals are in keeping with the size and character of the
settlement and its surroundings;
-
where
necessary, additional infrastructure will be provided by the
developer; and
-
there are
satisfactory arrangements for access, parking, drainage and
sewage disposal.
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Unforeseen demands for new
community facilities may arise over the lifetime of
the Plan. Accordingly, a
flexible approach is required in considering such
development within the
Metropolitan Development Limit and Settlement
Development Limits in order to
make the most effective use of existing facilities, infrastructure,
utilities and resources. For the purposes of interpreting this policy,
Community Use refers to those uses specified in Use Classes 13 and 15 of the
Planning (Use Classes) Order (Northern Ireland) 1989 as amended.
