Northern Ireland Planning Service

Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan 2015
Preamble: (Page 2 of 2)

The Department will consider any representations and objections relating to the Draft Plan it may receive within the prescribed period. The Department may request the Planning Appeals Commission to hold a public inquiry for the purpose of considering objections. If a public inquiry is held the Department will consider the recommendations of the Planning Appeals Commission and then decide whether to adopt the Draft Plan in whole or in part, with or without modification. A final version of the Plan incorporating any amendments or revisions will then be published.
The Department has also prepared and is publishing a number of Technical Supplements to accompany the Draft Plan. The Technical Supplements do not form part of the Draft Plan but provide background and technical information that has informed the Plan Proposals. The Supplements are:
  1. Population and Housing (Volumes I, II and III)
  2. Employment
  3. Transportation (BMTP)
  4. Retailing (Volumes I and II)
  5. Offices
  6. Urban Environment (Volumes I, II and III)
  7. Open Space, Sport and Outdoor Recreation
  8. Tourism
  9. Public Services & Utilities
  10. Education, Health, Community and Cultural Facilities
  11. Countryside Assessment which includes an appraisal of environmental assets, an assessment of the landscape, an analysis of rural development pressure and an assessment of each settlement’s character, assets and constraints, conservation issues and Settlement Development Limit.
  12. Strategic Environmental Assessment comprising an assessment of probable environmental impacts of the Plan.
  13. Equality Impact Assessment comprising an assessment of probable equality impacts of the Plan.
  14. A Report of the Public Consultation.
In the case of any contradiction between the Written Statement and any other document forming part of the Plan, including the maps and the version of the Plan served on the Planning Service Website, the provisions of the Written Statement will prevail.
There are a number of previous statutory development plans, which cover parts of the Belfast Metropolitan Plan Area. These are:
  • Belfast Urban Area Plan 2001
  • Lisburn Area Plan 2001
  • North Down and Ards Area Plan 1984-1995
  • Carrickfergus Area Plan 2001
  • Newtownabbey Area Plan 2005
  • Ballymacoss Local Plan
  • Carryduff Local Plan 1988-1993
  • Lagan Valley Regional Park Local Plan 2005
  • Belfast Harbour Local Plan 1990-2005
  • Bangor Town Centre Plan
  • Lisburn Town Centre Plan
These Plans, even where they have passed their notional end date, will remain a material consideration in determining planning applications within their respective Plan Areas until such time as they are superseded wholly or in part by the adoption of the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan 2015. The Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan, when adopted will also supersede all area specific non-statutory planning guidance issued by the Department – such as Development Control Guidance Notes – prepared for the Plan Area.
The Draft Plan itself may constitute a material consideration in determining planning applications and further information on the weight the Department attaches to the provisions of emerging development plans is set out in Planning Policy Statement 1 – General Principles.
The Plan Proposals constitute considerations that the Department will take into account in determining planning applications within the Plan Area. The contents of the Draft Plan must be read as a whole as often several designations, policies and proposals may be relevant to a particular development proposal.
The Plan Proposals should not, however, be read as the only tests of acceptability for development proposals. The Plan Proposals sit alongside but do not supersede prevailing regional planning policy as set out in the Regional Development Strategy (RDS), Planning Policy Statements (PPSs), and the Planning Strategy for Rural Northern Ireland (The Rural Strategy), except where specifically indicated in the Plan. In making its decisions, the Department will assess proposals against all planning policies and other material considerations that are relevant to it. The contents of the Draft Plan must therefore be read in conjunction with the relevant contents of regional planning policy publications and supplementary planning guidance documents and with policy publications of other Government Departments.
In bringing forward proposals for planning permission, applicants must therefore take account of the content of prevailing regional policies and policy guidance, in addition to the specific policies and proposals contained in the Draft Plan.
Nothing in the Draft Plan, (hereafter referred to as ‘the Plan’) should be read as a commitment that public resources will be provided for any specific project. All proposals for public expenditure are subject to economic appraisal and will also have to be considered having regard to the overall availability of resources.
Unless otherwise stated, all references in the Plan to the ‘Department’, refer to the Department of the Environment.

Equality of Opportunity

The Northern Ireland Act 1998 has placed the following statutory requirement on each public authority:
1. To carry out their functions with due regard to the need to promote
equality of opportunity:
   (a) Between persons of different religious belief, political opinion, racial
   group, age, marital status or sexual orientation;
   (b) Between men and women generally;
   (c) Between persons with a disability and persons without; and
   (d) Between persons with dependants and persons without.
2. Without prejudice to its obligations under subsection (1) a public authority shall, in     carrying out its functions relating to Northern Ireland, have regard to the desirability of promoting good relations between persons of different religious belief, political opinion or racial group.
The Department has sought to ensure that the Plan does not have the effect of discriminating against individuals or groups of people who fall within these categories. The Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) of the Plan Proposals has considered any potentially adverse effects on these groups. The EQIA is published as one of the supporting documents to the Written Statement.

New Targeting Social Need

The Department is committed to implementing the Northern Ireland Executive’s New Targeting Social Need (New TSN) policy, which involves tackling social need and social exclusion by targeting efforts and available resources towards people, groups and areas objectively defined as being in social need.
This requires the application of objective measures to identify where deprivation occurs and then targeting existing and new spending to more effectively address the needs of the most deprived peoples and areas.
Planning Service is not a major spending Agency. However one of the main functions of a development plan is to facilitate development and create a land use framework that will allow investment to take place. The Plan seeks to apply the New TSN through specific Plan Proposals.

Review of Public Administration

The Review of Public Administration is a far-reaching review of the arrangements for the delivery of public services in Northern Ireland. It encompasses the services delivered by local government, public bodies and the functions of Government Departments. The Minister has indicated, based on views expressed in response to a major consultation exercise, that fewer, but more powerful local government councils, are envisaged, with the number reduced to single figures. The Minister plans to issue, for consultation, a set of firm proposals in 2004 that will set out a model for the future delivery of public services.
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