Northern Ireland Planning Service

PPS 4 (Draft): Industry, Business and Distribution
Policy IBD 11

Policy IBD 11 Redevelopment of an Established Industrial, Business or Distribution Use in the Countryside for Industrial or Business Purposes  
Proposals for the redevelopment of an established industrial, business or storage/distribution use in the countryside for industrial or business purposes will be permitted where all the following criteria are met:
  1. there would be environmental benefits as a result of the development;
  2. the redevelopment scheme deals comprehensively with the full extent of the existing site;
  3. the amenities of nearby residents is not harmed;
  4. traffic of a type or amount inappropriate to rural roads or which requires improvements which would harm the character of rural roads in the area will not be generated;
  5. the floorspace of replacement buildings is not materially larger than those to be replaced; and
  6. the extent of the site is not increased.
The redevelopment of an established storage/distribution site for continuing storage/distribution use will also be permitted subject to the above criteria. However, the redevelopment of established industrial or business sites for storage/distribution will not be permitted.

Justification and Amplification

4.37 The Northern Ireland countryside contains some major developed sites presently or formerly in industrial or business use. Whether they are redundant or in continuing use, the complete or partial redevelopment of these sites may offer the opportunity for environmental improvement and the promotion of job creation without adding to their impact on the amenity of the countryside.
4.38 The character and dispersal of new development will need to be considered as well as its footprint. The location of the new buildings should be decided having regard to the character of the area, the main features of the landscape and the need to integrate the new development with its surroundings.
4.39 The site should be considered as a whole, whether or not all the buildings are to be redeveloped. Any proposals for partial redevelopment should be put forward in the context of a comprehensive plan for the future overall development of the site.
4.40 The Department will not favour the redevelopment of existing industrial or business uses in the countryside for storage/distribution use, partly because of the generally greater impact on rural amenity which would result and partly because the employment normally generated by storage/distribution use of a site is relatively less significant than its use for industrial or business purposes.
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