Invitation to Consultation

WHY A REGIONAL STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK?

The launch of the Regional Strategic Framework initiates a process to decide where development to meet the needs of the region up to the year 2025 should be located. The process will involve consideration of a wide-ranging agenda:-

• Where will we live?
• Where will we work?
• What will be our quality of life?
• How will we travel?
• How can we support community life?

It will therefore extend beyond purely land use planning to touch on major social, economic, environmental and physical development issues. These are matters of importance to all of the Northern Ireland community. The challenge is to devise a strategy for development which will benefit all our people by:-

• facilitating the development of a prosperous economy;
• providing equal opportunity to all in our community to realise their potential and to contribute;
• ensuring a quality living environment in town and country.

This requires the Region to build upon its existing human, economic and environmental strengths, and to look outwards and prosper in a competitive global market.

We have already made a determined start in meeting needs and providing a solid base on which to plan further progress and exploit opportunities. Impressive efforts have been made to revitalise the social and economic fabric of Northern Ireland in recent times. We have shown that we can be a resourceful people. Our Region has many assets in terms of natural and built environment on which it can build and which it can use to open up opportunities for the future of all the community. We have a growing economy which has been successful in attracting investment and this provides a solid base for planning a more viable and sustainable economy. The Region has a well developed education and health system which enhances the quality of life for residents and attracts people to live here.

However, there is much work to be done. A number of underlying social, economic, environmental and community issues have to be tackled if Northern Ireland is to become a more prosperous region. Competition with other regions for new jobs is intense. Increased economic growth is needed to provide more and better employment opportunities. Deprivation has always afflicted sectors of our society and in recent decades changing economic and social circumstances have eroded the basis of many of our communities in town and country. Northern Ireland remains a divided community and the divisions have had serious implications for the political, social and economic development of the Region.

The Government in common with nations world-wide is committed to the principle of sustainability. This means that we should not cheat on the next generation by excessive or abusive use of land and other precious resources. It will therefore influence where and how we live, work and travel in the future.

Government will value an open and wide-ranging debate on these matters. The process of preparing the strategy will facilitate contribution by the public at all stages. Government welcomes and will actively seek the views of the community on:-

• what are the issues which the strategy should deal with?
• what are our goals for the future?
• what is the best strategy for Northern Ireland?

Other regions in Europe have faced similar problems to Northern Ireland and have achieved success. The preparation of a Regional Framework provides the opportunity to harness the resources and abilities of our people, build on our strengths and assist in tackling the problems facing us. It will enable the community to begin to shape the future rather than solely responding to immediate issues and making piecemeal decisions. It will facilitate a major and wide-ranging debate on the future development of our region. In addition, it will allow consideration of the needs of individual places and communities and provide a focus for discussion as to their role in contributing to the development of the region as a whole.

When complete, the Regional Strategic Framework will harness the efforts of local communities to goals which command widespread support and which are designed to provide a better future for all our people and to assist them in achieving their social and economic aspirations. It will help to create a regional development context within which the public, private and community sectors can work together in partnership over the next 25 years. Essentially it will provide a new direction and impetus for positive change which will:-

• improve the quality of life and social well-being;
• strengthen the economic infrastructure of the region and facilitate the creation of jobs;
• guide future development and encourage wise use of the environment;
• invigorate the cultural and civic life of the region; and
• provide an agenda for concerted community action.