Banbridge / Newry and Mourne Area Plan 2015
Strategic Plan Framework: Housing Regional Policy Context
The Regional Development Strategy (RDS) sets policy directions for the provision of housing that aim to deliver development in a more sustainable manner, and it provides a number of SPGs and measures for housing development throughout Northern Ireland that recognise the need to:
- manage housing growth in response to changing housing need (SPG-HOU 1);
- direct and manage future housing growth to achieve more sustainable patterns of residential development (SPG-HOU 2);
- set Housing Growth Indicators to guide the distribution of housing in the Region over the period to 2015, through the development plan process in accordance with the Spatial Development Strategy (SPG-HOU 3);
- promote a drive to provide more housing within existing urban areas (SPG-HOU 4);
- encourage an increase in the density of urban housing appropriate in scale and design to the cities and towns of Northern Ireland (SPG-HOU 5);
- encourage the development of balanced local communities (SPG- HOU 6);
- create and sustain a living countryside with a high quality of life for all its residents (SPG-RN1 2); and
- support the network of service centres based on main towns, small towns and villages in Rural Northern Ireland (SPG-RNI 3).
Within this context, the RDS emphasises that the development plan process should adopt a sequential approach to the allocation of land for housing in cities and towns. This involves using a search sequence that focuses firstly on the re-use of previously developed land and buildings informed by capacity studies, and consideration of previously undeveloped land within the existing urban area, before deciding the location and scale of settlement extensions.
In accordance with SPG - HOU 3, the RDS identifies a regional housing need for the period 31 December 1998 to 31 December 2015 and allocates this growth to the Belfast Metropolitan Area districts and to each of the 20 non metropolitan district council areas by means of Housing Growth Indicators (HGIs). The RDS Review of Housing Figures and the Response by DRD to the Report of the Independent Panel following the Public Examination uplifted the forecast regional housing need from 160,000 to 208,000. The RDS Review allocates 6,000 and 12,250 housing units as an adjusted HGI to Banbridge and Newry and Mourne Districts respectively.
SPG - HOU 1 sets down an evaluation framework which is intended as an aid for the Plan in the allocation of housing growth to the various settlements within each District in the Plan Area. The framework consists of a series of tests and an assessment against each of these is made in respect of each city, town and village.
Details of the housing allocation process, urban capacity studies and urban footprints are contained in the Population and Housing Technical Supplement.
In addition to the RDS, prevailing regional policy for housing development is currently contained in a number of relevant PPSs and in the Planning Strategy for Rural Northern Ireland (PSRNI).
PPS 12 - Housing in Settlements applies to all residential development proposals within cities, towns, villages and small settlements in Northern Ireland. The main purpose of this PPS is to define the processes and policies in relation to housing in settlements that will meet the key objectives of the RDS. This includes managing housing growth and distribution, supporting urban renaissance and achieving balanced communities.
PPS 7 - Quality Residential Environments applies to all new residential development proposals with the exception of single dwellings in the countryside. It sets out the Department's regional planning policies for achieving quality in the design and layout of new residential developments. It embodies the Government's commitment to sustainable development and the Quality Initiative.
Draft PPS 14 - Sustainable Development in the Countryside sets out regional planning policies for development in the countryside and embodies the Government's commitment to sustainable development.
Supplementary planning guidance for residential development is contained in 'Creating Places - Achieving Quality in Residential Development' (May, 2000). It is the principle guide for use by prospective developers in the design of all new housing areas.
In addition, DCAN 8: Housing in Existing Urban Areas, will be material to the determination of planning applications for small unit housing within existing urban areas.
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Draft PPS 14 was withdrawn in November 2008. Draft PPS 21 ( 345 KB) sets out the new planning policies for development in the countryside. |
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