Press Releases
8 December, 1998
LORD DUBS LAUNCHES 25-YEAR STRATEGY FOR DEVELOPMENT
The draft Regional Strategic Framework for Northern Ireland
was launched today by Environment Minister Lord Dubs.
Publication comes 18 months after the Government's intention
to develop a 25-year strategy for the physical development
of the Region was first announced.
Lord Dubs revealed that under the terms of the draft strategy,
development is to be encouraged in each of the 26 district
towns, but the main focus for development will be in key transport
corridors in the Belfast Metropolitan area, Londonderry, Craigavon,
Antrim, Newry,Ballymena,Coleraine, Omagh and Enniskillen.
There are also plans to strengthen 12 regional towns as key
service centres accommodating local growth, including Armagh,
Ballycastle,Ballymoney, Banbridge, Cookstown, Downpatrick,
Dungannon, Lame, Limavady, Magherafelt, Newtownards and Strabane.
Lord Dubs said: "The document is the result of extensive
public consultation which has seen the Department of the Environment
engage in a serious debate about what sort of region we should
have.
"More than 1,000 groups and organisations ranging from
District Councils, through to the business, voluntary, community
and public sectors, recognised the significance of the challenges
facing us and made vital contributions to the debate about
how the region should be developed.
"Among the considerations has been the fact that we
have a fast growing, youthful population which will rise to
1.75 million by the year 2025. There is a projected need to
provide 200,000 new dwellings in the same period.
"The significant increase in the number of vehicles
on our roads is another vital issue to be tackled if growth
goes unchecked it will rise from our current total of 700,000
vehicles to more than one million by 2025.
"We also have to consider the trends which have led
to dispersal out of cities and main towns to the suburbs,smaller
towns, villages and the countryside which has resulted in
development and infrastructure pressures.
"Two other major concerns emerged during the consultation
process. Firstly, the issue of a divided society and the need
for a future development pattern which was fair to the whole
community and, secondly, the public at large is genuinely
concerned about environmental matters."
The draft strategy also proposed that transport linkages
with other regions and cross border co-operation in tourism
development and environmental management should be further
strengthened, while cross border development corridors in
the North West and between Belfast and Dublin should be encouraged.
The draft strategy also proposes targets for housing development
across the region and suggests 55 per cent of the housing
target for the Belfast Metropolitan Area up to 2010 should
be provided within existing urban areas, the figures for towns
in the rest of the region is 40 per cent.
Further information and supporting technical papers are available
by telephoning (01232) 549139. Documentation is also accessible
on the Internet on: http://www.doeni.gov.uk/shapingourfuture/
The closing date for comment on the draft strategy is 15
February 1999 and responses should be sent to:
The Director
Regional Planning Division
Department of the Environment (NI)
Windsor House
9-15 Bedford Street
Belfast, BT27LT.
|
