Judgement made on Draft PPS14

A third hearing took place on Thursday 27 September at which judgement was reserved.

Environment Minister Arlene Foster issued a Ministerial Statement on 25 October 2007 under the powers conferred by Article 3 of the Planning (Northern Ireland) Order 1991, advising that the Department of the Environment has assumed responsibility for rural planning policy and will therefore take forward work on the ongoing review of draft Planning Policy Statement 14 (PPS 14).

The Ministerial Statement also advises that the Department has, as an interim measure, reissued the policy provisions of Draft PPS 14 ‘Sustainable Development in the Countryside’, pending completion of the policy review process. Furthermore it indicates that these policy provisions should continue to take precedence over existing policies for the countryside and should be accorded substantial weight in the determination of any planning application received after 16 March 2006.

The Minister's Statement is available below. Copies can also be obtained from the DOE Planning and Environmental Policy Group by calling telephone number 028 9025 7302 or by email to epdwebteam@doeni.gov.uk.

Note
Draft PPS 14 was withdrawn in November 2008. Draft PPS 21 ( 345 KB) sets out the new planning policies for development in the countryside.