AQO 857/10

Mrs Naomi Long
Alliance Party
East Belfast

Tabled Date: 18/02/2010
Answered On Date: 02/03/2010
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of the Environment for an update on the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan; and for his assessment of the effectiveness of the process for developing area plans.

Answer:

The BMAP Public Inquiry concluded in May 2008, and the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) is currently considering all the information before it prior to completing its report and making its recommendations to the Department.

The PAC has indicated a preliminary timescale for delivery of the report to Planning Service as early summer 2010. Upon receipt of the report, Planning Service will consider the recommendations of the PAC, and the Plan will then be prepared for adoption.

The date of adoption will be dependent on the date that the PAC Report is received, and on its content. However, upon receipt of the PAC Report I will consider any available options for expediting the adoption of BMAP.

In terms of my assessment of the process of developing area plans, I have already acknowledged, through Planning Reform, that there are a number of problems with the current process. I believe that it currently takes too long to prepare, amend and adopt plans and that they are no longer providing an effective enough planning framework for today’s fast changing society. Of particular concern has been the independent examination/public inquiry stage of the process, which has resulted in significant delays to plans in recent years.

To address these issues and others I am committed to extensive reform of the overall planning system. One of the most fundamental aspects of this are proposals for a new local development plan system which will take account of both the transfer of functions under RPA and the need for a more streamlined and effective plan system. The new local development plan system will be designed to speed up the plan preparation process, ensure more effective participation from the public and other key stakeholders early in the plan preparation process, and provide a more flexible approach that is responsive to change and capable of faster review.