Northern Area Plan 2016
Strategic Countryside and Coast: Lignite and Minerals

The lignite deposit in Ballymoney Borough is recognised as an important and valuable mineral resource, part of which has been proven to be of internationally recognised standards. The Plan safeguards this resource, to ensure the reserves remain exploitable if and when the need arises.

By their nature, scale, location and duration of operation, mineral developments frequently impact more severely on the environment than any other form of development. They can damage or destroy sites of nature conservation or earth science value and sites of historic and archaeological interest. They can also have a significant visual impact on the landscape and an adverse effect on residential amenity.

Areas of Constraint on Mineral Developments are designated to safeguard the most valuable and vulnerable areas of the environment within the Plan area from the detrimental effects of mineral extraction. Their identification has taken account of nature conservation interests, archaeological and built heritage, landscape quality and character, visual prominence, amenity value, and geological/geomorphological interest and beaches in the coastal zone. These areas include;

Proposals for the development of mineral resources within these areas will be determined in accordance with prevailing regional planning policy, currently set out in Policy MIN 3 of the Planning Strategy for Rural Northern Ireland (PSRNI).