Regional Policy Context

The RDS sets policy directions for the provision of housing that aim to
deliver development in a more sustainable manner, and it provides a number
of Strategic Planning Guidelines and measures for housing development
throughout Northern Ireland that recognise the need to:

• manage housing growth in response to changing housing need (SPG-HOU 1);

• direct and manage future housing growth to achieve more sustainable patterns
  of residential development (SPG-HOU 2);

• set Housing Growth Indicators to guide the distribution of housing in the Region
  over the period to 2015, through the development plan process in accordance with
  the Spatial Development Strategy (SPG-HOU 3);

• promote a drive to provide more housing within existing urban areas (SPG-HOU 4);

• encourage an increase in the density of urban housing appropriate in scale and
  design to the cities and towns of Northern Ireland (SPG-HOU 5); encourage the
  development of balanced local communities (SPG- HOU 6);

• create and sustain a living countryside with a high quality of life for all its
   residents (SPG-RN1 2); and

• support the network of service centres based on main towns, small towns and
  villages in Rural Northern Ireland (SPG-RNI 3).

Within this context, the RDS emphasises that the development plan process
should adopt a sequential approach to the allocation of land for housing in cities
and towns. This involves using a search sequence that focuses firstly on the
re-use of previously developed land and buildings informed by capacity studies,
and consideration of previously undeveloped land within the existing urban area, before deciding the location and scale of settlement extensions.

In accordance with SPG-HOU 3 the RDS allocates 42,000 housing units as a
Housing Growth Indicator for the Metropolitan Urban Area, and 9,000 units for the Metropolitan Rural Area. It also sets a specific framework for the location of future housing growth in the Plan Area (SPG-HOU 3.1 and HGI 4) which will:

• accommodate an increased share of future residential development within the
   existing urban area;

• provide for major areas of planned expansion on the key transport corridors at
  Lisburn and Newtownabbey focusing housing development near areas of
  employment growth and integrating with suburban rail links and other primary
  public transport services;

• focus housing on existing land zonings and ‘whitelands’⁵ and smaller sites to be
  determined in the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan; and

• allow a significant planned expansion in the small towns of Ballyclare, Carryduff
  and Moira in the Metropolitan Rural Area.

In addition to the RDS, prevailing regional planning policy for housing development
is currently contained in a number of relevant PPSs, and in the Rural Strategy.

PPS 7 Quality Residential Environments, sets out the Department’s regional
planning policies for achieving quality in the design and layout of new residential developments. It embodies the Government’s commitment to sustainable
development and the Quality Initiative. The PPS contains criteria-based policies against which all proposals for new residential development including those on
land zoned will be assessed, with the exception of single dwellings in the
countryside. These will continue to be assessed under policies contained in the
Rural Strategy, pending publication of a PPS by DRD, which will apply to the countryside.

Supplementary planning guidance for residential development is contained in
‘Creating Places – Achieving Quality in Residential Development’, published in May 2000. It is the principle guide for use by intending developers in the design of all
new housing areas.

In June 2002, the Department also published a revised Development Control Advice Note (DCAN) 8 Housing in Existing Urban Areas. This will be material to the determination of planning applications for small unit housing within existing urban areas.

PPS 12 Housing in Settlements, published by DRD in draft form in November 2002 applies to all residential development proposals within the cities, towns and villages
in Northern Ireland. The main purpose of this PPS is to define the processes and policies in relation to housing in settlements that will meet the key objectives of
the RDS, including managing housing growth and distribution, supporting urban renaissance and achieving balanced communities.

^{5 ‘Whitelands’ referred to in the Plan are those areas identified in the Belfast Urban Area Plan 2001, situated between the 1993 development limit and the inner edge of the Green Belt, which were intended as a reserve of development land to meet needs beyond 1993.}

PPS 13 Transportation and Land Use, published by DRD in draft form in December 2002, also defines the processes and policies flowing from the RDS strategic policy guidance relating to the integration of transport and land use planning. The key objectives of this PPS include locating development through the land use planning process in order to reduce the need to travel and maximise the potential of the existing transport network; and supporting more sustainable transport modes such
as walking, cycling and public transport.

PPS 1 General Principles states that development plans will set out the main
planning requirements (hereafter referred to as Key Site Requirements) which developers will be expected to meet in respect of particular zoned sites.

The Key Site Requirements set out the most important matters which developers
will need to address when bringing forward proposals for specific sites. They focus
 on the main infrastructure and local design requirements. Developers should
however note that while the Key Site Requirements for the development of zoned sites and Housing Land Use Policy Areas are set out in the Plan, the need for
certain supplementary infrastructural works and/or mitigation measures necessary
to facilitate the specific scale and form of development proposed may only be identified at planning application stage. An example may be as a result of the
findings of an Environmental Impact Assessment or a Transport Assessment.

Many development sites will require the improvement of existing infrastructure
and/or the provision of additional supplementary infrastructure to enable the development to take place. The infrastructural works may relate to transport,
water and sewerage or land drainage. It is Government policy that developers will
bear the full cost of works required to facilitate their development proposals. This policy applies to both public and private sector developments.

Where appropriate, Planning Agreements under Article 40 of the Planning (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 may be used to enable development to proceed. Developers
are urged to liaise early in the preparation of their proposals, with the relevant Department, Agency or service provider.

Housing Needs Assessment

A Housing Needs Assessment, published in June 2004, has been prepared by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE). It considers a number of housing categories including regeneration, social housing, supported housing need,
travellers, second homes, empty homes and students, for the period up to 2010.
Need beyond 2010 will be assessed as part of the mid plan review.

BMA Housing Strategy

BMA Housing Strategy

The BMA Housing Strategy aims to: accommodate the potential for a level of housing growth which is in accordance with the RDS requirement of managing housing growth and distribution; achieve revitalised and compact urban areas by accommodating as such housing as possible within existing urban footprints; secure higher density development within urban areas while protecting the quality of the urban environment, particularly the character, amenity and environmental quality of established residential areas; create the development of balanced local communities, and provide housing choice by achieving a mix of tenures, and meeting identified needs for social housing; support the network of service centres based on towns, villages and small settlements in the Metropolitan Rural Area; and protect the rural areas surrounding the Metropolitan Urban Area from development pressures.

The BMA Housing Strategy has been developed in accordance with the
guidance provided by the RDS and other regional planning policies. To assist in
the identification of land for housing, urban capacity studies have been undertaken
for settlements with a population in excess of 5,000. These studies assessed
the potential yield from sites within the urban footprints of the cities of Belfast
and Lisburn, and the towns of Bangor, Carrickfergus, Holywood, Ballyclare,
Carryduff and Greenisland.

Metropolitan Urban Area

The allocation of housing growth potential across the Metropolitan Urban Area has been informed by the Spatial Development Strategy in the RDS. A sequential
approach has been adopted for the identification of housing land based on the
search sequence set out in the RDS and which focused firstly on land within existing urban footprints followed by land zoned for housing in previous area plans and ‘whitelands’ identified in the BUA Plan 2001. The potential yield from these sources together with the yield from committed sites and windfall potential has resulted in
the Plan Proposals only including a limited number of housing zonings as urban extensions. Urban extensions include some former ‘whitelands’ as identified in the
BUA Plan 2001. Former ‘whitelands’ at Jordanstown/Greenisland, Newtownabbey/Carrickfergus, Monkstown, Glencairn, Whiterock, Lagmore and Purdysburn are designated as Green Belt.

Although the RDS identified West Lisburn and Newtownabbey as appropriate
locations for Greenfield expansion, the Plan Proposals do not include areas for significant housing development in these locations because of the potential yield
from the above sources.

Metropolitan Rural Area

The allocation of housing growth potential across the Metropolitan Rural Area has been informed by the use of ‘the Broad Evaluation Framework’ in the RDS for settlements with a population over 5,000. The allocation has also taken account
of a number of other considerations arising from specific requirements of the RDS.
The Plan Proposals identify sites for housing in a range of settlements whilst recognising it would not be sustainable to locate further development in many of the smaller settlements. Ballyclare, Carryduff and Moira are identified in the RDS as small towns where significant expansion could take place. The Plan Proposals direct significant housing growth to Ballyclare and Carryduff but only limited growth to
Moira due to identified constraints to development. The Plan Proposals seek to consolidate the villages and smaller settlements and in the majority of cases there
are no significant extensions to the development limits as shown in previous area plans.

The RDS advocates the use of a phased land release procedure as a mechanism for maintaining an appropriate tension between the development of land within existing urban areas and Greenfield sites. Due to the number of dwellings already built, or
not built, but with planning permission, the potential yield within the urban
footprints, and the limited amount of land zoned for housing on Greenfield sites, it
is not considered appropriate for the Plan Proposals to include phasing of sites.

The Department will also require housing proposals to be designed and implemented
in accordance with relevant Plan Proposals, including the Key Site Requirements for zoned land. Key Site Requirements are set out for zoned land and Housing Land Use Policy Areas, on sites larger than 0.5 hectares and are contained in the relevant District Proposals. Although they have not been included for smaller sites, it is important that these sites are developed in accordance with relevant policy and supplementary planning guidance, and in line with normal development control practice.

Key Site Requirements specify minimum densities for sites zoned for housing within urban footprints which aim to maximise potential housing yield without prejudicing environmental quality. A design led approach had been used to determine
appropriate densities.

The Plan Proposals take account of the Housing Needs Assessment prepared by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) and land is zoned specifically for social housing and the travelling community.

The Housing Strategy places an emphasis on city and town living and the Plan Proposals include policies to protect existing areas of housing within city and town centres in order to retain their residential communities.

Housing Allocations, Policies and Proposals

Allocation HOU 1 Housing

A total of approximately 1,831 hectares of land is allocated to be zoned and designated for housing as follows: District                                Metropolitan             Metropolitan             Total                                              Urban                         Rural   Belfast                                        316                            0                   316 Lisburn                                        376                         148                   524 Carrickfergus                                132                           49                   181 Castlereagh                                  193                           61                   254 Newtownabbey                             213                          157                   370 North Down                                  175                           11                   186                 Total                        1,405                          426                1,831 The Metropolitan Rural figures for Carrickfergus, Castlereagh and Newtownabbey Districts include the following allocations for the three settlements with a population in excess of 5,000. Carrickfergus:            Greenisland                40 hectares Castlereagh:              Carryduff                   52 hectares Newtownabbey          Ballyclare                  114 hectares The above figures include a number of sites zoned and designated specifically for social housing (Allocation HOU 2: Social Housing).

Allocation HOU 1 identifies the total housing allocation for the Plan period. The sites zoned and designated for housing are detailed in the relevant District Proposals.

The zoning of land provides a basis for rational and consistent decisions on planning applications and provides a measure of certainty concerning the types of
development that will and will not be permitted.

The lands zoned and designated for housing include:

• sites where 10 or more units have been built, in part or in full, from 1 January
  1999 to 31 March 2003;
   

• sites with extant planning approval for housing, or with a current planning
  application for which there was a reasonable expectation of approval at 31st
  March 2003 such that it was considered to be committed for housing at this
  date (this includes some BUA Plan ‘whitelands’ and land zoned for housing in
  previous area plans);
   

• sites within existing urban footprints as identified by urban capacity studies;
   

• sites within small towns and villages; and
   

• a limited number of extensions on greenfield sites including some of the
  ‘whitelands’ in the BUA Plan 2001 and land zoned for housing in previous area
  plans. A full assessment of ‘whitelands’ is contained in the Population and
  Housing Technical Supplement.

In addition to the land zoned and designated in the Plan, sites with a potential yield
of less than 10 units that have been built from 1 January 1999 to 31 March 2003,
or are committed, also contribute to the housing supply during the Plan period.
Details of these sites are included in the Population and Housing Technical Supplement.

A significant housing yield will also result from the comprehensive development of Titanic Quarter in the Belfast Harbour Area.

Windfall development consists of potential future housing development on land not zoned for housing within the existing urban footprints, and this also contributes to
the housing supply. Windfall has been estimated for the Metropolitan Urban Area
and for all settlements in the Metropolitan Rural Area with a population over 5,000. Details are contained in the Population and Housing Technical Supplement.