Introduction to the Strategy
What is it?
Shaping Our Future is about preparing a Regional Development
Strategy which offers a strategic and long-term perspective
on the future development of Northern Ireland up to the year
2025. It has been prepared in close consultation with the
community and seeks to define an agreed vision for the Region
and to frame an agenda which will lead to its achievement.
It will influence the future distribution of activities
throughout the Region. It is not limited to land use planning
but recognises that policies for physical development have
an important bearing on other matters such as developing a
strong spatially based economy, a healthy living environment
and an inclusive society which tackles inequalities relating
to health, education and living standards. The promotion of
sustainable development allied to social and economic cohesion
is an integral part of the drive to provide a strategic and
long-term perspective for the development of the region up
to the year 2025.
The Regional Development Strategy will have several functions,
namely:-
- to provide a strategic planning
framework for strengthening the regional economy and tackling
social disadvantage;
- to protect and enhance the physical,
natural and man-made assets of the Region;
- to provide a spatial framework for
transport, air and water quality, energy and waste strategies,
and for infrastructure providers and public service promoters;
and
- to provide an overarching framework
for Development Plans, and to guide public and private investment
decisions relating to land use.
 The
Process
In June 1997 Government announced its intention to begin
work on a long-term development strategy for the Region. The
Department of the Environment assumed the lead and appointed
a Project Team to carry out the work. A Panel of Advisers,
with international experience, was appointed to assist the
Project Team and an Inter Departmental Steering Group was
formed to oversee the work. DOE also contracted a university-led
Consortium to facilitate the participation of the voluntary
and community sectors in the process.
In November 1997 Government held a major conference at which
a Discussion Paper was launched. The Discussion Paper set
out, for public comment, proposals for a Draft Regional Strategic
Framework.
Thereafter, and during the period up to May 1998, Government
engaged in a major phase of consultation with the public,
private, voluntary and community sectors. Special arrangements
were made to involve young people in the consultation process.
In the Belfast Agreement of 10 April 1998, the Government
gave a commitment to make rapid progress with: -
''…a new regional development strategy for
Northern Ireland, for consideration in due course by the Assembly,
tackling the problems of a divided society and social cohesion
in urban, rural and border areas, protecting and enhancing
the environment, producing new approaches to transport issues,
strengthening the physical infrastructure of the region, developing
the advantages and resources of rural areas and rejuvenating
major urban centres.''
Draft
Document
In keeping with the commitment in the Belfast Agreement,
Government published a draft version of the Regional Strategy
(Regional Strategic Framework (RSF)) in December 1998 and
invited further public comment. The draft RSF and associated
documents may be accessed from the Document Library which
is also available on this site.
The closing date for comments on the draft strategy was 16
April 1999. More than 160 formal responses were received by
the Department; a list of those who made submissions is also
available from the Document Library.
Following an Examination in Public and further extensive
consultation, which included Assembly Committees, the Minister
reported progress on formulation of the Regional Development
Strategy (RDS) on 2 July 2001 to the Northern Ireland Assembly.
The text of the advanced draft of the RDS which was presented
to Assembly Members by the Minister is now available on this
website. It should be read in conjunction with the Official
Report (Hansard) of the Take Note Debate.
The publication of this advanced draft is not intended to
be an invitation to further consultation. For information
on what happens next see the Next Steps page on this website.
Final Strategy
The final RDS was formulated on the 20 September 2001 and
formally launched on the 4 December by Peter Robinson MP MLA,
Minister for Regional Development.
The strategy can be read on this site. It is available in
a user friendly version (click on the reference in the blue
panel to the right of this page) or in a PDF version. The
maps in the user friendly version have been designed to download
quickly. If the quality of detail is insufficient, or you
wish to print out a map, please use the PDF files provided
on the same page and which will provide a higher quality image.
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