The Carrickfergus District Proposals form an integral part of the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan 2015, which is a development plan being prepared under the provisions of Part 3 of the Planning (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 by the Planning Service, an Agency within the Department of the Environment (DOE). The Plan covers the City Council Areas of Belfast and Lisburn and the Borough Council Areas of Carrickfergus, Castlereagh, Newtownabbey and North Down.

The Department is now publishing the Belfast Metropolitan Area Draft Plan 2015 consisting of a Written Statement and accompanying maps. The Written Statement
is divided into four parts:-

• Part 1 sets out the background to the preparation of the Draft Plan;
   

• Part 2 sets out the Draft Plan’s Guiding Principles and the Plan Strategy proposed to meet these;
   

• Part 3 sets out the Draft Plan framework comprising allocations, designations, policies and proposals relating to the Plan Area as a whole, intended to complement, and with reference to, the Regional Policy Context; and
   

• Part 4 translates the broad allocations, designations, policies and proposals in Part 3 into site specific designations, policies, proposals and zonings for the individual Council Areas included in the Plan Area.

The Plan Strategy, allocations, designations, policies, proposals and zonings in Parts
3 and 4 of the Draft Plan comprise, and are hereafter also referred to collectively as the Plan Proposals.

The Plan is being published in 7 Volumes:- 

Volume 1 consists of Parts 1, 2, and 3, which deal with the Plan Area as a whole; 

Volumes 2 to 7 comprise Part 4  – the District Proposals which set out the site
specific Plan Proposals for individual Council areas as follows:

• Volume 2 – Belfast District Proposals

• Volume 3 – Lisburn District Proposals

• Volume 4 – Carrickfergus District Proposals

• Volume 5 – Castlereagh District Proposals

• Volume 6 – Newtownabbey District Proposals

• Volume 7 – North Down District Proposals

The Carrickfergus District Proposals consist of designations, policies, proposals and zonings specific to the administrative area of Carrickfergus Borough Council. They relate in general to specific locations identified by defined boundaries on relevant maps.

The designations, policies, proposals and zonings flow from the Plan Strategy and
Plan Proposals for individual land uses contained in Parts 2 and 3, Volume 1 of the Plan. As such they reflect the Strategic Planning Guidelines contained in the Regional Development Strategy (RDS) and regional planning policies contained in Planning
Policy Statements (PPSs) prepared by DOE and DRD and the Planning Strategy for Rural Northern Ireland.

To understand the full range of the Plan Proposals, which apply to Carrickfergus Borough, it is necessary to read the District Proposals in this Volume in conjunction with the Plan Strategy and the Plan Proposals contained in Volume 1 of the Plan
which relate to the entire Plan Area.

The District Proposals are presented in this Volume as follows:-

Designations, policies, proposals and zonings for the following individual locations:

• Large towns - Carrickfergus

• Small towns – Greenisland and Whitehead

• Small settlements – Trooperslane and Knocknagulliagh

Designations, policies, proposals and zonings for the Countryside and Coast.