Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan 2015
Strategic Plan Framework: Settlements (Page 1 of 4)
BMA Settlement Strategy
The Settlement Strategy for the BMA is fundamental to the delivery of
the Plan aim. The aim of the Strategy is to focus development in the cities and towns, with priority
being given to the re-use of land within existing urban areas, and the need to contain outward expansion.
| BMA Settlement Strategy |
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The BMA Settlement Strategy comprises the following elements:
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The
Settlement Strategy has been developed in accordance with the Regional Development Strategy
Spatial Development Strategy. Settlements are designated according to their role, the services and facilities
available, and their potential for accommodating development.
The core development areas in the BMA are the Cities of Belfast and
Lisburn and the towns. The Plan Proposals seek to reinforce the role of city and town centres as the
main foci in the life of the community, and as key centres for the provision of jobs and services.
The city and town centres in the BMA provide a strong sense of place
not only for local residents but also for visitors for whom they are focal points.
In Belfast, in addition to supporting and strengthening the role of
the City Centre, the Plan also aims to reinforce a sense of place by including proposals to maintain
distinctive places, buildings and landscapes, recognising that many people have a sense of allegiance
to local areas rather than the larger Metropolitan Area. This involves focusing on the role of the Arterial
Routes and ‘urban villages’ in the wider City in order to retain strong local identities. The Arterial
Routes connect the suburban parts of Belfast with the City Centre and help to provide a sense of place
and focus. Many of the Arterial Routes form the main transport corridors into and out of the City, and
operate as retail and service centres for surrounding communities.
A number of ‘urban villages’ are located on the Arterial Routes in Belfast,
providing a sense of place, and a focus for community life. The Plan recognises these as established
community nodes that help to respect local identities and give expression to local diversity in the
Metropolitan Urban Area. Some of these ‘urban villages’ are identified as commercial nodes in the Plan,
and several are designated as Areas of Townscape Character, in order to conserve the built heritage
and character of distinctive areas of the city. They are also promoted in the Plan through a range of
policies covering urban design, provision of local services, transportation and economic development.
Other ‘urban villages’ in the Plan Area that are not located on the
Arterial Routes in Belfast, also provide a focus for local communities within wider urban areas and
have a sense of place and local identity. In these instances the Plan will seek to maintain these attributes,
particularly in relation to local identity and diversity.
In the Metropolitan Rural Area, the Settlement Strategy focuses on the
existing network of towns, villages and small settlements, recognising the important role that the settlements
perform as local service centres in terms of sustaining and serving rural communities. Although the
towns are the main locations for the provision of services for the surrounding rural areas, there is
also a need to consolidate growth in the villages in order to reinforce their role as local centres.
As many villages in the Metropolitan Rural Area are subject to strong dispersal pressures, large-scale
expansion has been resisted in the majority of cases in order to ensure that development takes places
in towns where infrastructure already exists.
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