AQW 17128/22-27

Ms Kate Nicholl
Alliance Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 22/10/2024
Answered On Date: 11/11/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Infrastructure to detail the reasons for the delay in finding a solution to road access issues for the proposed new build for Forge Integrated Primary School.

Answer:

My Department has engaged in ongoing discussions regarding this matter as part of the Department’s statutory consultee role since July 2020.

It is acknowledged that Departmental staffing resource pressures may have contributed to some delay in providing a timely response in particular when a change in staffing between January 2021 and July 2022 resulted in a delayed response. However, the main concern for my Department is the proposed access from the development onto the A55, which is a ‘protected route’.

My Department has engaged positively with the Department for Education, identifying and discussing the Department’s concerns since 2020. My officials have given full consideration to all the options presented and considered any potential effect on road safety and traffic progression, and responded without prejudice, with advice and recommendations to the Planning Authority throughout the statutory consultation process. To-date the developer has not yet provided a proposal which appropriately addresses road safety and traffic progression concerns associated with the proposed development.

My Department will continue to assess any design proposals that we are consulted on, providing the Planning Authority with advice and recommendations on road safety and traffic progression with our primary focus to ensure the safety of all road users.