Appendices

Appendix 1 - Policy Context

The preparation of the Regional Development Strategy has been influenced by local legislative and policy considerations, national policies and international policy statements including:

• The Belfast Agreement - the outcome of the multi-party negotiations on the future of Northern Ireland, April 1998;
• The Northern Ireland Act 1998;
• The Departments (Northern Ireland) Order 1999;
• The Strategic Planning (Northern Ireland) Order 1999;
• The UK Government’s White Paper on Partnership for Equality, DFP, March 1998 (leading to the development of New Targeting Social Need Policy);
• Policy Appraisal and the Environment, DETR, April 1998;
• The UK Government's White Paper on the future of Transport, 'A New Deal for Transport: Better for Everyone', DETR, 1998;
• Our Competitive Future – Building the Knowledge Driven Economy, 1998;
• Modern Government – In Touch with the People, 1999;
• A Better Quality of Life – A UK Strategy for Sustainable Development, Department of the Environment,Transport, and the Regions, DETR, May 1999;
• The Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland,Wales and Northern Ireland published by DETR in partnership with Scottish Executive, National Assembly of Wales and the Department for the Environment for Northern Ireland, January 2000;
• Modern Ports: A United Kingdom Policy, DETR, November 2000;
• UK Climate Change Programme, DETR, November 2000 Section 75 of the Agenda 2000 – European Commission Proposals for a new Europe, 1997;
• The European Spatial Development Perspective, May 1999; and
• The National Development Plan for the Republic of Ireland (2001-2006).

The Regional Development Strategy has been prepared in close consultation with other Government Departments within Northern Ireland, through an Inter-Departmental Steering Group, in order to secure a co-ordinated approach to the future strategy for the development of the Region. In this regard account has been taken of prevailing policies and relevant policy development work on matters such as:

• Building on Success, DOE 1995;
• River Quality for Northern Ireland, DOE, 1995;
• Tourism in Northern Ireland, NITB, March 1995;
• The Strategic Plan for Education 1996-2000, DENI, May 1996;
• Well into 2000 – the Regional Strategy for Health and Well Being, DHSS, 1997;
• A Strategy for the Development of Tourism in Northern Ireland, NITB November 1997;
• Moving Forward – the Northern Ireland Transport Policy statement, Department of the Environment, 1998;
• The Rural Development Programme in Northern Ireland 1994 - 1999, DANI, 1999;
• Strategy 2010 – A report by the Economic Development Strategy Review Steering Group, March 1999;
• A Waste Management Strategy for Northern Ireland, DOE, March 2000;
• Leapfrog to the Information Age, DETI, April 2000;
• Creating Places – achieving quality in residential developments. Design Guide published by DOE & DRD May 2000;
• Railways Task Force – Interim Report on the future of the Railway Network in Northern Ireland, DRD and NITHC, September 2000;
• The Northern Ireland Executive's draft Programme for Government, October 2000;
• The Northern Ireland Programme for Government, April 2001;
• Urban Renaissance: Belfast Lessons for Policy and Partnership, OECD 2000;
• Biodiversity in Northern Ireland: Recommendations to Government for a Biodiversity Strategy, Northern Ireland Biodiversity Group, October 2000;
• River Conservation Strategy: An Environment and Heritage Service Strategy to protect, conserve and enhance the natural and built heritage values of rivers in Northern Ireland and facilitate their sustainable use, DOE, January 2001;
• Sustainable Development in Belfast: A Framework for Action 1999 - 2001; and
• Investing for Health – a consultation document published by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety on behalf of the Ministerial Group on Public Health, 2001