E-mail: planning@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

Website: www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/topics/planning

Strategic Planning Directorate

Dear Ms Bentley

PLANNING ACT (NORTHERN IRELAND) 2011

THE PLANNING (LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN) DIRECTION 2022

ADOPTION OF THE BELFAST CITY COUNCIL PLAN STRATEGY UNDER SECTION

12 OF THE PLANNING ACT (NORTHERN IRELAND) 2011

This correspondence encloses a formal direction from the Department for Infrastructure

requirements as well as the procedural, consistency, coherence and effectiveness tests

of soundness set out in Development Plan Practice Note 6 (DPPN 6) and that the dPS is

sound on that basis.

The Department has considered the IE report and the reasoning for the

recommendations contained therein. The reasoning within the report is accepted and the

Department agrees that the dPS is sound, subject to the recommended amendments.

Your attention is therefore drawn to the enclosed direction made by the Department

under the powers conferred upon it by Section 12 of the Planning Act (Northern Ireland)

2011 (the Act).

-21 Adelaide Street

Clarence Court

10-18 Adelaide Street

Tel: 0300 200 7830

04 February 2022

The Council is required to adopt the plan document with the modifications as set out in

Schedule 1 of the direction. The reason for this direction is that the Department agrees

with the IE report that the development plan document is sound subject only to the

required modifications being made.

Phasing

Your attention is drawn in particular to the proposed new and amended policies resulting

from modifications 5, 6 and 11. These modifications reflect recommended amendments

As a minimum, the new policy should provide a strategic framework for the alignment of

the growth strategy with infrastructure provision, including water and sewerage

infrastructure. The new policy must support the managed release of sites in a manner

that takes account of the RDS and local circumstances and other relevant planning

considerations. These include a sequential approach to the allocation of land for housing;

site readiness for development and the capacity of existing infrastructure including water,

sewerage and other utilities to support development.

Consultation and DFI Agreement

To ensure the direction is fully complied with, the Council must agree the wording of the

new policies with the Department prior to the adoption of the Plan Strategy. Through

constructive engagement in the development of the new policy requirements the

Department anticipates that this approval will likely be a formality. In practical terms this

will involve providing details of the policies in writing as well as a summary of consultation

responses and the reasons for the Council’s approach.

Publicity

The Department considers that the publicity of the IE report is for the Council to

Decision making

material consideration is for the decision maker.

Additional matters

The Department would also like to draw the Council’s attention to a number of aspects of

the IE report that have not been included as recommended amendments or modifications.

In particular the commentary on the dPS reliance on draft BMAP designations and the

role of supplementary planning guidance and monitoring are addressed in turn.

Draft Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan (dBMAP)

The IE report addresses the issue of dBMAP 2015 and in particular the reliance upon a

number of designations contained within that draft plan as far as they relate to the

Council plan area. The report concludes that designations that form part of a draft plan

Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG)

The Council has stated that it intends to produce numerous SPG to supplement the dPS.

The IE report highlights that SPG is intrinsically complementary to policy and should

assist in its interpretation and implementation, but should not explain the scope of that

policy or introduce more onerous obligations or undertakings. The advice from the

Council that draft SPG would be subject to scrutiny by Members and reviewed

subsequent to feedback from a 12 week public consultation period will ensure

accountability and provide checks and balances on its scope. On this basis the

Department accepts this position and is satisfied that the extent of the SPG proposed by

the Council is not inconsistent with the plan led system.

that the Monitoring Indicators proposed, should be used in monitoring the plan, subject to

monitoring framework. The plan will be reviewed, or partially reviewed, to take account of

changing conditions. This is also a statutory duty in accordance with Section 13 of the

Planning Act (NI) 2011. As a matter of good practice it is the Department’s view that

monitoring of the policies of the PS should commence once the development plan

document is adopted as this will assist in informing the preparation of the Local Policies

Plan.

Finally, the Department wish to acknowledge the huge amount of work undertaken by

Belfast City Council in the preparation of the draft Plan Strategy to this point. The

Department considers that the professional approach of Council officials, the PAC and all

other stakeholders involved in the process has contributed to the successful conclusion

Yours sincerely

_______________

ALISTAIR BEGGS

Director

Enc

Cc Angus Kerr