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Northern Ireland Planning Service

Northern Area Plan 2016
Strategic Plan Framework: Environment and Conservation Local Landscape Policy Areas

Policy ENV 2 Local Landscape Policy Areas (LLPAs)
Planning permission will not be granted for development proposals that would be liable to affect adversely those features, or combination of features, that contribute to the environmental quality, integrity or character of a designated LLPA. Where development is permitted, it will be required to comply with any requirements set out for individual LLPAs in the District Proposals.
Where riverbanks are included within LLPAs, planning permission will only be granted where access is provided to the river corridor as part of the development proposals.
Where proposals are within and/or adjoining a designated LLPA, a landscape buffer may be required to protect the environmental quality of the LLPA.
Local Landscape Policy Areas (LLPAs) are those areas within or adjoining settlements that are considered to be of greatest amenity value, landscape quality or local significance, and therefore worthy of protection from undesirable or damaging development. In accordance with PPS 6: Planning, Archaeology and Built Heritage, LLPAs are designated to help protect such environmental assets. These are shown on the relevant settlement maps in volumes 2-5 and, where they extend beyond, on the relevant countryside maps.
LLPAs may include:
  1. archaeological sites and monuments and their surroundings;
  2. listed and other locally important buildings and their surroundings;
  3. river banks and shore lines and associated public access;
  4. attractive vistas, localised hills and other areas of local amenity importance; and
  5. areas of local nature conservation importance, including areas of woodland and important tree groups.
LLPAs will help to ensure that new development does not dominate areas of distinctive landscape and townscape character. They may also function as buffer zones between different uses and help to reduce the likelihood of over-intensive development. LLPAs will help to protect those features considered of greatest importance to the local landscape setting. Further information on each designation is given in the relevant settlement section.
The use of Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) will be considered for those LLPAs where trees contribute significantly to visual amenity, or where trees are considered under threat from development.
Where riverbanks of main rivers are included within LLPAs, the Department will normally require that public access is provided to the river corridor as part of any development proposal, if appropriate. A landscape buffer may also be required between any development and the river corridor to maintain its intrinsic environmental value.
LLPAs may contain significant parts of Historic Parks, Gardens and Demesnes, Conservation Areas, Listed Buildings, Archaeological Monuments and SLNCIs to which prevailing regional planning policies will also apply.
The following numbers of LLPAs have been designated within each Council area. Lists of the names of each are provided in the Countryside section of the relevant District Proposals in Volume 2 of the Plan.

Table 6.1 Designated LLPAs in Each Council Area

Council Area Number of LLPAs
Ballymoney Borough 20
Coleraine Borough 67
Limavady Borough 23
Moyle District 39
NAP Total 149
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