Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan 2015
Strategic Plan Framework: Employment (Page 1 of 4)
Regional Policy Context
The Regional Development Strategy (RDS) provides a framework for sustainable economic growth capable of accommodating the future levels of economic activity. A strategic objective is to support a sustainable economic drive which will provide jobs and wealth across the Region and help reduce socio-economic differentials.
The RDS provides a number of Strategic Planning Guidelines and measures to support economic development within Northern Ireland which are as follows:
- revitalise the role of town centres and other common locations well served by public transport as focal points for shopping, services, employment, cultural and leisure activities for the whole community (SRC 3.2);
- promote the development of major employment/enterprise areas in locations which are accessible to all sections of the community (SRC 3.2);
- promote a balanced spread of economic development opportunities across the Region focused on the BMA.…and the urban hubs/clusters, as the main centres for employment and services and make provision for a generous and continuous supply of land for employment purposes (SPG-ECON 1);
- exploit the economic development potential of the key transport corridors (SPG-ECON 2);
- promote the regional gateways as economic development opportunities (SPG-ECON 3);
- create and maintain a regional portfolio of Strategic Employment Locations (SELs) (SPG-ECON 4); and
- support the network of service centres based on main towns, small towns and villages in Rural Northern Ireland (SPG-RNI 3).
The RDS sets out a spatial framework for the future growth of the BMA including locations with potential for employment growth.
- create a thriving Metropolitan Area centred on a revitalised City of Belfast by :
- maintaining its role as a major industrial centre;
- maintaining its role as a major industrial centre;
- strengthening the regional gateways;
- promoting physical regeneration; and
- maintaining the role of Belfast City Centre as the primary retail and office location in the region (BMA 1.1).
- develop the complementary role of the suburban districts of Castlereagh and Newtownabbey by:
- continuing to support Castlereagh as an important centre of employment for the wider Metropolitan Area; and
- focusing on Newtownabbey’s advantageous location on the major transport corridors in order to develop it as a major industrial and university centre (BMA 1.2).
- develop Bangor, Carrickfergus and Lisburn by strengthening the multi-functional role of their town centres and by:
- consolidating Bangor’s role as an important retail centre and boost its role as a commercial centre within BMA;
- accepting the need to widen Bangor’s economic base;
- recognising the role of Carrickfergus as an important industrial and service centre; and
- promoting Lisburn’s continued development as a strong employment base (BMA 1.3).
- promote an urban renaissance throughout the Belfast Metropolitan Area by:
- enhancing the employment potential of the City Centre, Laganside and the Harbour Estate and identification of strategic locations for employment growth around the North and West Belfast regeneration axis, the Purdysburn area, Sprucefield/West Lisburn, and Mallusk/Ballyhenry (BMA 2.1); and
- promoting regeneration of Belfast and Lisburn City Centres and Bangor and Carrickfergus Town Centres and areas of disadvantage and deprivation including Belfast Middle City particularly the North West Belfast Axis and the East Belfast Crescent (BMA 2.1).
- facilitate the development of rural industries, businesses and enterprises in appropriate locations, and ensure they are satisfactorily integrated with the settlement or rural landscape by:
- facilitating the development of opportunities for growth in employment, niche markets, inward investment, micro-businesses, and extending the rural services industry.
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