INTRODUCTION

PLAN AREA

The Plan relates to the administrative area of Craigavon Borough Council, an area of approximately 260 square kilometres, with an estimated population of 80,671 (2001 Census). Craigavon Urban Area, comprising the traditional towns of Lurgan and Portadown and the New Town development at Brownlow, has a population of 56,568 (2001 Census), while the villages and smaller settlements have an estimated population of approximately 12,045.

Craigavon is one of the largest urban centres in Northern Ireland. Its designation as a new town in the late 1960s has been a major influence on the scale and nature of its development. The Borough has an urban focus, with around 70% of the population living within Craigavon Urban Area, and a strong industrial base. The rural area is characterised by diverse landscapes ranging from the lowland bogs of the Lough Neagh shore, to the orchard country in the southwest and the drumlin landscape in the southeast. The Upper River Bann, which flows through the Borough, has a major influence on development patterns within its catchment.

PURPOSE OF THE PLAN

The purpose of the Plan is to inform the general public, statutory authorities, developers and other interested bodies of the policy framework and land use proposals that will be used to guide development decisions within Craigavon Borough.

PLAN POLICIES AND PROPOSALS

The policies and proposals contained in the Plan constitute considerations that the Department will take into account in determining planning applications within the Borough. The contents of the Plan must be read as a whole as often several policies may be relevant to a particular development proposal.

The policies and proposals contained in the Plan should not, however, be read as the only tests of acceptability for development proposals. In making its decisions, the Department will also assess proposals against all planning policies and other material considerations that are relevant to it. The contents of the Plan must, therefore, be read in conjunction with the relevant contents of the Department’s regional policy publications and supplementary planning guidance documents. These are addressed in the Regional Policy Context section, overleaf.

In order to ensure that there is no public misunderstanding of these Plan policies and proposals, it must be recognised that there may be occasions when other material considerations outweigh one or more of these. Each case must be considered on its merits to assess whether an exception would be justified, but the provisions of the Plan policies and proposals will prevail unless there are other overriding policy or material considerations which outweigh them and justify a contrary decision.

REGIONAL POLICY CONTEXT

The regional policy context for the Craigavon Area Plan 2010 is provided by the Regional Development Strategy for Northern Ireland 2025 Shaping Our Future (RDS), the Regional Transportation Strategy (RTS), A Planning Strategy for Rural Northern Ireland (the Rural Strategy), and all prevailing Planning Policy Statements (PPSs) as prepared by both the Department for Regional Development (DRD) and the Department of the Environment (DOE). Paragraphs 11-13 of PPS 1: General Principles set out the Department’s approach to sustainable development.

The Department also prepares non-statutory supplementary planning guidance which applies throughout Northern Ireland.

Regional Development Strategy

Regional Transportation Strategy

The Regional Transportation Strategy 2002-2012 (RTS) was published in July 2002 and is the ‘daughter document’ of the RDS. Its purpose is to make a significant contribution towards achieving the longer-term vision for transportation contained within the RDS.

The purpose of the RTS is also to improve access to regional, national and international markets, thereby contributing to sustainable patterns of development and movement, and to promote integration between different modes of travel.

The RTS identifies strategic transportation investment priorities and considers potential funding sources and the affordability of planned initiatives over the next 10 years.

A Planning Strategy for Rural Northern Ireland

A Planning Strategy for Rural Northern Ireland (the Rural Strategy), published in September 1993, contains a number of strategic policies, but essentially comprises a compendium of planning policies setting out, on a topic basis, the factors that the Department takes into account when assessing development proposals. The Rural Strategy applies to all of Craigavon Borough.

The Department has begun progressively to replace the Rural Strategy. The strategic section of the document is superseded by the RDS, whilst the topic sections are progressively being replaced by PPSs. Policies within the Rural Strategy remain material considerations until superseded.

Planning Policy Statements

Planning Policy Statements (PPSs) set out the policies of the Department on particular aspects of land use planning and apply to the whole of Northern Ireland. They provide a broad regional policy context for the site specific policies and proposals contained in development plans and directly influence decisions on individual planning applications. Details of PPSs are contained in Appendix 1.

Regional Supplementary Planning Guidance

The Department’s publication, A Design Guide for Rural Northern Ireland, issued in May 1994, provides guidance for all those who are thinking of building in the countryside of Northern Ireland. Its purpose is to improve the quality of design and to help ensure that new buildings fit into the landscape.

The Department’s publication, Creating Places, issued in May 2000, provides guidance on the design, character and layout of new housing areas in Northern Ireland. The guide describes the contributions to quality and sustainability that developers will be expected to make through the design of new residential developments.

The Department also publishes, and updates as necessary, a set of Development Control Advice Notes (DCANs), which explains the planning criteria, and technical standards, which the Department considers when dealing with specific categories or particular aspects of development in Northern Ireland. They are listed in Appendix 2. Good practice guides may also be issued to illustrate how concepts contained in PPSs can be best implemented.

It should be noted that the Department is continuously reviewing its regional planning policies and advice. It is, therefore, advisable to contact the Divisional Planning Office to ascertain the current relevant policies and supplementary guidance that apply within Craigavon Borough.

PLAN AIM

To provide a planning framework which facilitates the future growth and development of Craigavon Borough whilst protecting and, where appropriate, enhancing the natural and man-made environment and ensuring that development is both sustainable and of a high quality.

PLAN OBJECTIVES

The main objectives of the Plan are as follows:

• the encouragement and facilitation of sustainable patterns of development;
   

• the maintenance of compact urban forms that respect the individual character and identity of settlements, avoid urban sprawl and reduce the need for expansion into the countryside;
   

• the most efficient use of existing infrastructure, buildings and transportation systems;
   

• the integration of land use and transportation to reduce congestion and the need for car journeys and encourage a shift towards more sustainable modes of transport, including walking and cycling;
   

• the protection of the quality of the countryside and the diversity of its rural character;
   

• the protection and, where appropriate, enhancement of the natural environment and man-made heritage;
   

• the achievement of a high quality of layout, design and landscaping in new development; and
   

• facilitating the achievement of the Borough’s economic potential.  

PLAN STRATEGY