Regional Policy Context

The RDS emphasises the need to support the growth of tourism in Northern Ireland
as one of two major economic development themes by achieving balance between tourism development opportunities and conserving the natural, built and cultural assets. It provides Strategic Planning Guidelines and measures for Northern Ireland
as follows:

• to strengthen and extend European and world-wide linkages through
  strengthening the position of Northern Ireland on the world tourism map
  (SPG-SRC 1);

• to increase links with neighbouring regions and capitalise on
  transregional development opportunities (SPG-SRC 2);

• to promote a sustainable approach to the provision of tourism
  infrastructure (SPG-ECON 7);

• to establish a world-wide image for Northern Ireland based on positive
  images of progress, and attractive places to visit (SPG-ECON 8);

• to protect and enhance a varied range of tourism development
  opportunities by (SPG-ECON 9):

− including the protection and enhancement of water based
   visitor amenities and provision of opportunities for water
   based tourism, such as cruising, angling and activity based
   holidays and investigating the potential to reopen the
   disused canal and develop the existing marinas of Bangor
   and Carrickfergus by developing new marinas/moorings
   (ECON 9.2);

− sustaining and enhancing the traditional seaside resort of
   Bangor by capitalising on its existing tourism infrastructure
   and attractive townscape and facilitating the strengthening
   and diversification of its tourism and leisure role (ECON 9.4);
   and

− enhancing key touring opportunities such as the Antrim
   Coast Road, facilitating the provision of supporting
   infrastructure in key locations for the benefit of coach
   parties, motorists and cyclists, including information/toilet
   facilities, picnic areas and sites for touring caravans.
   Continuing improvement of the rail network will increase the
   potential for rail based tourism between the main cities of
   Ireland (ECON 9.5).

• to promote the Region as a centre for cultural, business and sports
  tourism by (SPG-ECON 11):

− building up a network of opportunities for tourism
   development based on the two main cities of Belfast and
   Derry by providing for a range of accommodation,
   conference and exhibition centres, strengthening the role of
   the city centres and developing a range of places to visit
   and enjoy in the waterfront areas (ECON 11.1).

• BMA 1.1 identifies a range of measures to enhance the role of the
  Metropolitan Area that include the following:

− develop tourism potential by enhancing the role of the BMA
   as the major gateway to Northern Ireland; developing a
   thriving Cathedral Quarter; building up the considerable
   visitor attraction potential of Bangor and Carrickfergus as
   seaside centres of leisure; exploiting the linen heritage role
   of Lisburn, promoting its range of cultural and historic
   attractions; and embrace opportunities to create ‘a string of
   pearls’ waterfront development on the seafront of Belfast
   Lough and along the Lagan Valley with the possibility of
   waterbus links.

Regional planning policy for tourism development, the protection of tourist assets,
the provision of tourist accommodation and sites for caravan and camping and advance directional signs are set out in the Rural Strategy. Policy SETT 6 of the
Plan extends the application of these policies to the entire Plan Area. Development proposals will be assessed against prevailing regional policies except were these
are superseded by policies T1 to T3 of the Plan.

BMA Tourism Study

In order to carry out a review of tourism policy for the Plan Area, TTC International and Roger Tym and Partners were appointed jointly by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) and the Planning Service. Their brief was to advise how the Plan Area ‘can best maximise economic growth through the development of sustainable
tourism which would not damage the character of the natural or built environment
or prejudice tourism assets’.

The consultants concluded that:

• in accordance with the RDS the emphasis should be on ‘sustainable
  tourism’ which balances tourism growth and the protection of the natural
  and built environment;

• provision should be made for growth in tourist accommodation. The
  assessment of the consultants is that demand for self-catering
  accommodation is likely to be modest and that future accommodation will
  be largely hotel based; and

• tourism development should continue to be promoted to enhance the
  tourism product and visitor experience including the development of a
  ‘must see’ visitor facility.

The Tourism consultants assessed the existing tourism sectors and assets and analysed the potential of the Plan Area for tourism development. They took
account of the quality and character of the townscape and landscape and the
natural and built heritage. The consultants classified the potential for tourist development in the Plan Area into 3 categories as set out in Table 5.

• Conservation areas where tourism development should not be approved within the majority of their extent to protect the tourism asset;

• Sensitive areas where tourism development should be strictly controlled to respect the local environment and particular characteristics of the area; and

• Opportunity areas, largely urban based, where the majority of development for tourism uses will be expected to locate in order to build on the existing tourism base and enhance the tourism product.

Table 5: Categories for Tourism Potential

Conservation	Sensitive	Opportunity
The Coastal Zone	Green Belt	Urban Remainder
Areas of High Scenic Value	Dundonald Leisure Park	Rural Settlements
Areas of  Constraint on Mineral Development	Lagan Valley Regional Park Nodes and Service Centres.
Conservation Areas other than Linen, Cathedral and Belfast City Centre.	Conservation Areas of Linen, Cathedral and Belfast City Centre
Historic Parks, Gardens and Demesnes and Sites of Archaeological Interest.	Areas of Townscape and Village Character
Nature Conservation and Landscape Designations including Landscape Wedges.

By protecting the built heritage, bio diversity, unspoilt countryside, waterways, coastline and scenic landscapes, the Plan will facilitate development only where the environment has the capacity to cope with the pressures of rising visitor numbers.

The consultant’s report is published as the Tourism Technical Supplement to the
Plan and has been taken into account in developing the Plan Proposals.

BMA Tourism Strategy

The BMA Tourism Strategy comprises the following elements: promoting a sustainable approach to tourism development;   protecting a varied range of tourism development opportunities;   facilitating the development of tourism infrastructure; and   enhancing the urban environment generally, and in particular “first impression” points at major gateways, and in city and town centres.

The Plan Area contains a high quality natural heritage of landscape, Lough shore
and wildlife, and a significant man-made heritage of buildings, culture and industrial past which have the potential to attract visitors. The development of tourism presents a significant opportunity for increased expenditure, economic development and job creation in the Plan Area and in NI as a whole.

There has been significant growth in tourism products and services over the last decade. Multi-use complexes such as the Waterfront Hall, the Odyssey Arena,
Mossley Mill and Lagan Valley Island represent a new blend of attraction and have
had a positive contribution to tourism growth in the Plan Area. There has also been significant growth in hotel development.

NITB forecasts indicate that due to changing trends in the tourism market from the single summer holiday to more trips of shorter duration there is likely to be
increasing pressure for tourism development within the Plan Area. The BMA has the capacity to further exploit the international trend towards city tourism through increased development of its tourism product. In particular business tourism is encouraged as a market that will generate additional and repeat visits and
significant revenue.

Realising the tourism potential of the Plan Area will continue to require investment
in marketing, product development and physical facilities in terms of visitor infrastructure, and especially visitor accommodation. Since a vibrant tourism sector depends on a quality host environment, its growth must be based on the provision
of tourism facilities and accommodation to a high standard that contribute to the industry. In addition, the urban environment in the Plan Area is an important factor
in attracting tourists and in persuading those who do make visits to make return
trips.

The six councils have responsibility for the promotion and marketing of tourism and have prepared strategies for the development of tourism within their Council areas. These identify the strengths of their area, which offer potential for growth in
tourism and indicate priority areas and opportunities for development.

Many of the identified tourism assets and opportunities, as referred to below are located within city and town centres.

Belfast has potential as a major destination for cultural tourism through a variety
of measures including festivals and building on the success of features such as museums, theatres, public art galleries and event venues. Features such as the history and industrial heritage of the City, the built heritage focusing in particular
on the City Centre and Cathedral Quarter, and Waterfront also offer a distinctive cultural draw. City break, conference and business tourism and the night-time economy are significant areas with potential for growth.

Opportunities along the River Lagan and Lagan Canal within the City Council areas
of Belfast and Lisburn and Castlereagh Borough provide an opportunity for
expanding water based tourism with the wider Lagan Valley Regional Park providing
a significant recreational asset for the City. Recreational tourism also presents opportunities focused on the Colin Glen Linear Park, the Belfast Hills and Cavehill Country Park. The network of Lough shore, lakes and rivers are important assets, where angling for game fish, as well as sea and coarse fishing is an attraction for visitors to the area.

Lisburn has significant tourism assets based on its proximity to the Belfast Hills,
indoor recreational facilities, industrial heritage, focused on the Irish Linen Centre
and the recreational potential of Colin Glen Linear Park, the Island Civic Centre,
the River Lagan, Canal, Towpath and wider Lagan Valley Regional Park. The regeneration of the Historic Quarter of the City Centre, the creation of a night
time economy and accommodation development within the City are the priorities
of Lisburn City Council for tourism development.

North Down’s Tourism Strategy, focuses on the potential of Bangor’s maritime
location and new seafront development to enhance its role as a traditional holiday resort and promote the night time economy. The natural environment of the
Holywood Hills, Crawfordsburn and Redburn Country Parks and the Lough shore
and beaches such as Ballyholme are key assets. The Borough also includes
woodlands at Ballysallagh Wood and the Clandeboye Estate and regionally
significant heritage attraction of the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum.

Tourism potential in Carrickfergus and Whitehead focuses on their heritage and archaeological interest which in Carrickfergus Town is based on features such as
the Town Wall, Castle and Gasworks Museum. The development of Carrickfergus Marina and promotion of the Lough Shore location of both towns offers potential
for tourism and maritime pursuits and events.

Castlereagh has developed leisure provision that has the potential to generate
tourism revenue such as the Dundonald International Ice Bowl Complex and the Billy Neill Soccer School of Excellence. Continued appropriate recreational and tourism development at locations such as the River Lagan and Canal and Belvoir Park Forest
in the Lagan Valley Regional Park will continue to enhance visitor numbers.

Newtownabbey’s Tourism Strategy is based on the development of key tourism products such as attractions, retail development, history and culture to build on recent improvements to the tourism base such as at Mossley Mill and Sentry Hill.

The Plan Proposals will support the development of new tourism facilities and encourage the recreational development of the Valley Park, Carrickfergus
Escarpment area and Carnmoney Hill as well as the Lough Shore at Whiteabbey
and Jordanstown to tie in with the National Cycle Network.

A key challenge is to secure the benefits of tourism development while conserving
the assets of natural and built environment which provide the basis for visitor attraction. Excessive pressures on the natural and man-made heritage can place these assets at risk.

The Plan Proposals incorporate a sustainable approach to tourism development that seeks to protect key assets to ensure that new development does not harm the environment, character or cultural heritage of the Plan Area. This is in accord with
the polices of the NITB, whose publication “Tourism in Northern Ireland – A Sustainable Approach” sets out the principles of sustainable tourism and the basis
for its assessment of proposals for tourism development.

The Plan Proposals also emphasise the need for quality in the urban environment. Policies for key locations such as city and town centres and major gateways to the urban area seek to raise the standard of new developments with benefits in ‘first impressions’ for tourists (see Policy UE 1).

Tourism Policies

Policy T 1 Tourism Development within the Metropolitan Development Limit and Settlement Development  Limits

Planning permission will be granted for proposals for tourism facilities within the Metropolitan Development Limit and Settlement Development Limits, with the following exceptions: where the proposed development would have a detrimental effect on the visual amenity, views or environmental quality of the area;   where the proposed development would have a detrimental effect on residential amenity or the character of the area;   where the proposal would have a detrimental impact on an area designated built heritage or proven archaeological importance;   where the development would have a detrimental impact on nature conservation interest or the coast;   where the proposal is located outside identified nodes within the Lagan Valley Regional Park; and   sites which are poorly serviced by public transport and where the development would have an unacceptable impact on road traffic volumes or cause congestion on the road network. Where additional infrastructure is required to facilitate the requirements of the proposed development these shall be provided by the landowner/ developer.

The opportunities for tourism development (including accommodation) within the
Plan Area exist principally in the urban areas and rural settlements where infrastructure is already in place and there are opportunities to capitalise on the existing tourism facilities and increase the tourism pull of the area. There is a need
for a ‘must see’ destination within the Metropolitan Area in addition to additional provision of international standard accommodation at well-accessed nodes with existing local support services which will aid expansion of the business tourism
market.

Tourism development is not considered appropriate where it would have a negative impact on the character of the townscape, natural or built heritage or cultural
assets or which would adversely impact on the quality of the coastal,
environmental and landscape resources of the Plan Area.

All new tourism development must be appropriately located and designed to the highest standards to ensure there is no detrimental impact on the quality of the environment and make a positive contribution to the tourism base of the area. As
the quality and diversity of urban environments are essential to the future of the tourism industry, it is necessary to seek to ensure that tourism development does
not damage the assets it seeks to exploit. This should ensure its future tourist
value and protect important public views and visual amenity.

Where there is inadequate infrastructure in place to meet the needs of the
proposal, the landowner developer will be required to enter into a Planning
Agreement to secure the delivery of the infrastructure required in association with
the proposal.

Policy T 2 Tourism Development outside the Metropolitan Development Limit and Settlement Development Limits

Planning permission will only be granted for tourism development outside the Metropolitan Development Limit and Settlement Development Limits where all the following criteria are met: a site specific need for the development is demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Department;   proposals are small in scale and satisfactorily integrate into their surroundings;   there is no detrimental impact on the residential or visual amenity, views, landscape quality or the character of the area;   there is no detrimental impact on an area of designated built heritage or proven archaeological importance;   there is no detrimental impact on the nature conservation interest or the coast; and   the proposed site is well serviced by infrastructure and public transport and there is no detrimental impact on road traffic volumes or increased congestion on the road network. Within the Lagan Valley Regional Park, any proposed tourism development shall be located in designated Nodes and meet all the Key Site Requirements as contained in the relevant District Proposals.

Tourists are attracted by a wide range of features in the open countryside such as areas of quality landscape, the coast, archaeological sites and monuments, and historic buildings, gardens, landscaped parks and demesnes and by our industrial heritage.

These areas which owe their attraction to the quality of the landscape, built
heritage or their leisure potential should be protected from over development to ensure that a delicate balance is maintained between exploitation of the natural resource and overdevelopment which would prejudice its future role as a tourism asset.

The open countryside has been identified as a Sensitive Tourism Zone hence
proposals for tourist development including tourist accommodation will be balanced against the objectives of protecting these areas and keeping new development to a minimum. While the majority of accommodation needs should be located within the Metropolitan Development Limit or Settlement Development Limits, it is accepted
that the nature of tourism is such that a wider choice of location may be required.

However in order to protect the open countryside new tourist developments will be approved only where a site-specific need is proven to the satisfaction of the Department. Only those proposals which are in close association with a particular tourism asset and where a positive need is identified will be permitted. All proposals will be judged on their contribution to the tourist industry.

Details shall be included which identify the positive impact that the proposal will
make to rural employment, business formation, local economic growth rates and the skill base in the rural area as well as the degree to which they contribute to the natural, man made and built heritage. Advice will be taken from the NITB and other appropriate bodies. Such developments must be acceptable in terms of the scale
and design of any new building, the level of activity and type of use and integration into the local environment.

Planning permission may be granted for the sympathetic conversion of existing buildings or the change of use and minor extensions to buildings to provide tourist accommodation subject to meeting prevailing greenbelt and normal planning policy.
To ensure that accommodation intended for tourists is retained as such the Department will attach a condition requiring that the accommodation be used for holiday occupation only and not as permanent residential accommodation.

A major hotel development with function and conference facilities will not be acceptable in the open countryside due to the scale of development and the level
of activity generated.

All applications within designated Areas of High Scenic Value, Areas of Constraint
on Mineral Development, Rural Landscape wedges or the coastal zone are
considered as Tourism Conservation Zones and will be assessed in the context of
the relevant Plan Policy.

Where the proposed site contains significant parts of Local Landscape Policy
Areas, Sites of Local Nature Conservation Importance, Historic Parks, Gardens or Demesnes, Conservation Areas, Areas of Townscape or Village Character, Listed Buildings, Industrial Heritage or Areas of Significant Archaeological Interest, this
policy will apply in addition to or without prejudice to any other statutory provision
or policy relating to these features.

Policy T 3 Protection of the Settings of Tourism Assets

Planning permission will not be granted for development within the visual setting of tourism assets that would have an adverse impact on their tourism role.

Inappropriate development within the visual setting of tourism assets such as
quality landscapes, scenic routes, Areas of Significant Archaeological Interest or particular features of the built or natural environment can have an adverse impact
on their character and effectiveness in attracting tourists.

The Plan seeks to ensure that new development within the visual setting of tourism assets is consistent with their role and importance to the tourism industry. The
quality of the area surrounding the asset shall be protected from unnecessary or excessive development as over development would destroy its intrinsic character
and quality.