Northern Ireland Planning Service

PPS 4 (Draft): Industry, Business and Distribution
Policy IBD 13

Policy IBD 13 Small Industrial and Business Development associated with a Village or Other Rural Settlement.
A genuine proposal to develop a small enterprise park/centre or a small rural enterprise associated with a village or other rural settlement will be permitted where all the following criteria are met:
  1. there is no suitable site within the settlement;
  2. the proposal would make a significant contribution to the local economy;
  3. the site is clearly associated with the settlement;
  4. the site is not in a Green Belt or Countryside Policy Area;
  5. the site is not on a Protected Route;
  6. the proposal does not adversely affect the setting of the settlement;
  7. the proposal does not contribute to unacceptable urban sprawl or ribbon development; and
  8. the scale of the proposal is in keeping with the size of the settlement.
Where the above criteria can be met the Department will apply the following sequential test in terms of location:
  • a minor extension to the existing development limit, subject to amenity and environmental considerations;
  • any site close to the development limits which currently contains buildings or where the site is already in a degraded or derelict state and there is an opportunity to improve the environment;
  • an undeveloped site in close proximity to the settlement and clearly associated with it.

Justification and Amplification

4.44 While it is the Department’s policy to facilitate the development of new industrial and business enterprises in appropriate locations to diversify the rural economy, generally such development should be located in defined rural settlements or in disused rural buildings, or approved as part of a farm diversification scheme. It is important, however, that firm proposals for such enterprises are not blocked due to a lack of suitable land within existing settlements. The nature of a small business may be such as to require some physical separation from the built up area because of potential nuisance, for instance noise or smell. The Department will therefore adopt a flexible approach to ensure adequate provision is made for small rural enterprises.
4.45 Planning permission may be granted for a site outside the limits of development for a settlement, provided it is clearly closely associated with the settlement. Sites remote from any settlement will not be approved.
4.46 The policy will only be applied in exceptional circumstances where there is a definite proposal for industrial or business development which would make a significant contribution to the local economy. Proposals of a speculative nature will not be permitted. Permission will only be granted where the proposal is of a scale appropriate to the settlement involved.
4.47 In addition, the policy will only be applicable in those circumstances where there is no reasonable prospect of securing a suitable site within the limits of development for the particular settlement. An exhaustive search of all land within the development limits will be a necessity. In some situations land may be available but constraints to development render it inappropriate to the proposed development.
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