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PUBLIC UTILITIES

This part of the Written Statement sets out the Strategic Plan Framework comprising allocations, designations, and policies relating to the whole District, which complement, and are in reference to, the Regional Policy Context.

The provision of public services and utilities within the District is primarily the responsibility of a number of Government Departments and Agencies, Magherafelt District Council and statutory bodies. However, the role of the private sector is becoming more important. The main services are water and sewerage, drainage, waste disposal, cemeteries, electricity and telecommunications.

Planning Service consulted with all statutory agencies and bodies with responsibility for the provision of public services and utilities within the District during the preparation of the Plan, and the information provided by those agencies is as contained within the Plan and Public Utilities Technical Supplement.

REGIONAL POLICY CONTEXT

The RDS provides the strategic environmental context for the delivery of public services and utilities.

The Rural Strategy contains current policies on new infrastructure, major projects, the disposal or treatment of waste materials and developments at risk from flooding or land instability. It also includes policies on overhead electricity cables, renewable energy and septic tanks.

Prevailing regional policy in relation to telecommunications is provided by PPS 10 - Telecommunications, and in relation to Waste Management is provided by PPS 11 - Planning and Waste Management. A PPS on flooding is in the process of preparation by DOE.

Water and Sewage

The abstraction, treatment and supply of drinking water and conveyance and treatment of sewage are the responsibility of the Department for Regional Development’s Water Service. Future improvements to this infrastructure are also the responsibility of Water Service.

The main water source for the Magherafelt District is Lough Neagh. Water is abstracted from the Lough and treated in the Moyola Water Treatment Works. Treated water is pumped to a command service reservoir at Mullaghboy Hill. Water is supplied from Mullaghboy service reservoir to Magherafelt Town and is also transported to local service reservoirs at Moneymore, Windmill Hill, Gulladuff and Draperstown.

The western side of the District is supplied from Lough Fea Water Treatment Works through a series of service reservoirs, which supply Draperstown, Moydamlaght, Maghera (high area) and Swatragh.

Throughout the District, Water Service has schemes programmed to upgrade the water and sewerage system, where required, and to comply with EU directives, to ensure water quality and meet increasing demand.

There are currently three appraisal studies ongoing within the District:

Watermain Zonal Studies – Including an examination of all watermains to assess their structural condition and ability to hydraulically meet the demand of existing and future development. A Capital Works Programme includes a watermain rehabilitation programme, which will be constructed on a prioritised basis across all areas over the next five years. A new trunk watermain has been recently constructed from the Moyola system along the Glenshane Road to Maghera High Level area.

Drainage Area Studies – Studies are presently underway at Magherafelt, Castledawson, Bellaghy, Draperstown and Maghera. The recommendations of the studies will address the structural condition of the sewerage system and provide a drainage system which will meet the needs of existing and future development.

Wastewater Treatment Work Studies – The requirements of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment directive is the driver for a programme of improvements to Waste water Treatment Works. New (or ongoing works) include Upperlands, Glenone, Inishrush and Clady.

Appraisal studies are ongoing within the following settlements: Ballynease, Magherafelt Town, Maghera, Bellaghy, Castledawson, Draperstown, Swatragh, Desertmartin, Gulladuff and Tobermore.

Drainage

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Rivers Agency, is the statutory drainage and flood protection authority and will be consulted in relation to applications for development which may affect watercourses and floodplains.

In accordance with government policy, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is committed to the introduction of procedures for the recovery of developer contributions towards the costs of drainage infrastructure improvement work. Currently, drainage improvements necessary to permit development are subject to strict cost/ benefit criteria and scheme prioritisation and whilst drainage works to facilitate development may be identified as viable, their implementation will be dependant on the availability of resources. This situation pertains to a considerable number of sites proposed for housing in the Plan.

For those sites where necessary infrastructure improvements are not viable, Rivers Agency will not consent to any additional run-off beyond existing rates. In both of these circumstances, developers are recommended to consult with Rivers Agency and the Water Service of the Department for Regional Development at an early stage prior to submission of a planning application, in order to ensure an acceptable means of storm water drainage.

Many existing urban drainage systems are damaging the environment and are therefore not sustainable in the long term. The government wishes to promote a move to Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS). These provide a number of options for draining an area and fall into three broad groups that aim to:

• reduce the quantity of runoff from the site (source control techniques);
• slow the velocity of runoff to allow settlement filtering and infiltration (permanent conveyance systems); and
• provide passive treatment to collected surface water before discharging into land or to a watercourse (end of pipe systems).

There are a number of recorded flooded areas that significantly affect particular settlements within the District. Major areas of flooding are:

• to the south of Maghera,
• to the north and east of Tobermore
• to the south of Castledawson
• at Upperlands
• at Clady
• at Inishrush
• to the east of Tamlaght
• at Culnady
• at Curran.

This list is not exhaustive nor is it intended to include the floodplain of every watercourse in the District. Prospective developers are advised to contact the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Rivers Agency at an early stage to clarify flooding or floodplain issues that may affect particular sites.

Waste Disposal

It is not the purpose of the Plan to prescribe either the preferred methods of dealing with waste materials or specific sites for new facilities. These matters are determined by the producers or holders of waste in the context of land use policies and the Waste Management Strategy for Northern Ireland.

The management of waste is an essential community service. Presently Magherafelt District Council operates a landfill site at Ballymacombs approximately 7 kilometres north east of Magherafelt town.

As part of the North West Region Waste Management Group (NWRWMG) Magherafelt District Council is currently working with 6 other Councils to develop a sustainable solution for waste management in the District.

Recycling and composting in the NWRWMG is facilitated through the provision of bottle banks and civic amenity sites within the District. Civic amenity sites are located at
Magherafelt, Maghera, Castledawson, Tobermore, Bellaghy, Upperlands, and Draperstown.

Cemeteries

Magherafelt District Council has responsibility for a number of cemeteries within the District. Some churches also manage associated cemeteries and burial grounds.

Electricity

Northern Ireland Electricity will continue to develop existing 33kV and 11kV distribution networks as customer requirements and demand change in the future. The existing 33kV networks within the District are presently being reinforced.

Telecommunications

Telecommunications provision within the District is primarily the responsibility of British Telecom, supplemented by a number of other private companies. There are four providers operating second generation mobile telecommunication networks within
the District, namely, Vodafone, Orange, O2 (formerly BT Cellnet) and T-Mobile (formerly One to One).