Agenda item

(Report to follow)

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

 

“Relevant Background Information

 

      The August Development Committee considered a report on a range of planning and transportation Issues that included information in respect of the Regional Development Strategy review and proposed areas or issues of focus for the Council.

 

      The Minister for Regional Development in his original announcement stated that this would be a ‘fundamental review of the regional development strategy’ and that the new strategy would be different ‘it will be relevant to key stakeholders and flexible enough to deal with changing circumstances, yet robust enough for decision-making; it will set priorities and list a selected number of key infrastructure projects that are essential for economic growth; it will take account of, and be relevant to, structures and functions that emerge from the review of public administration; and it will take account of the many changes that are happening around us’.

 

      The RDS is likely to become an increasingly important statutory document both for the continued development of Belfast within the wider region and in setting the strategic context for exercising local planning functions. Council engagement in the review process will be critical to ensure the document reflects the aspirations for the City and provides an appropriate context for the future development of local planning policy following the Review of Public Administration.

 

      As previously identified a range of consultation and engagement mechanisms were being developed by the Department for Regional Development including investigation of the potential for public consultation sessions.

 

Key Issues

 

      The RDS is proposed to become an increasingly important statutory document within the planning system in Northern Ireland. Council engagement in the review process will be critical to ensure that the importance and role of the City to the development of Northern Ireland continues to be recognised and that the potential remains for the development of local planning policies to support the sustainable development of the City. These two key aspects, associated local issues and trends were identified in the previous report as forming the basis for engagement in the process (Appendix 1).

 

      These issues and trends will need to be addressed as part of a detailed response to the 10 year review of the Regional Development Strategy and should form the basis for the development of a robust position in response to the ongoing consultations. There will be both informal and formal opportunities to respond to the proposals, in the period leading up to the publication of the proposed consultation draft early next year, through the ongoing participation in the established working groups and any proposed consultation events.

 

      A local consultation workshop to inform the 10 year review has been organised for 4th December 2008 at the Northern IrelandScience Park. The consultation workshop will form part of a series of eleven events across the Province and will be facilitated by Charles Landry. These events are intended to provide the opportunity to influence the direction and emphasis within the Regional Development Strategy.

 

      In the context of the potentially heightened role for the Regional Development Strategy post RPA and the integration with the Programme for Government / NI Investment Strategy it is critical that the Council participates in the workshops and highlights the importance of the continued sustainable development of the City as the driver of the region.

 

      This Council participation and engagement will be critical to ensure there is balance to the pressure for the uncontrolled decentralisation of economic activity, which is emerging as an unsophisticated response to the aspiration for ‘balanced’ economic growth for the region. The representation at the workshop should include both Officers and Members from the Council to ensure that a common agenda for the continued growth and development of the City is presented at the workshop.

 

Resource Implications

 

      Financial

 

      There will be associated costs, ie travel and attendance, for those Members and Officers attending the consultation workshop at NISP.

 

Recommendations

 

-     Committee endorses the information set out in Appendix 1 as the basis for the Council engagement in the ongoing Regional Development Strategy review process;

 

-     Committee are asked to note the proposed consultation workshop and approve any travel and associated costs for any Members of the Committee and appropriate Officers wishing to attend this event.

 

Documents Attached

 

      Appendix 1: Basis for Council Engagement in the RDS Review.

 

APPENDIX 1

 

City and Region

 

      The Assembly debate at the time of the announcement and subsequent discussions as part of the initial consultation have highlighted the tensions around the perceived issues of regional disparity and the fundamental nature of the review highlights the necessity for the effective engagement to ensure the continued RDS recognition of Belfast as the “economic engine for the Region as well as being the regional centre for administration, specialised high order services and cultural amenities”.

 

      This issue and the interdependence of regional cities with their hinterland was specifically addressed in the work commissioned from the OECD, which in turn formed an important part of the recent State of the City Conference.  Professor Peter Tyler, Director of Studies in Land Economy at St Catherine’s College in the University of Cambridge, presented key findings for Belfast from the OECD which concluded that:

 

·         the success of Northern Ireland and quality of life for all citizens over the next 25 years will crucially depend upon the success of Belfast. (This echoes the message of previous State of the City Conferences which showed Belfast to be NI’s regional driver like other cities in other GB regions) Belfast is a major hub for both business and employment and any failure to fully exploit its potential will negatively impact on surrounding areas.

 

·         the City should not be perceived to be in competition with other parts of Northern Ireland but rather as a gateway for trade, employment, services and visitors and as a magnet for private sector investment.

 

·         the recent Programme for Government twin objectives of securing enhanced economic growth, whilst at the same time promoting social inclusion and equality across the region and its individual parts were consistent with the City’s own objectives.

 

      The OECD evidence-based report would usefully inform the review of the Regional Development Strategy that seeks to set directions for the location of jobs, houses, businesses, public services and facilities across the whole region. This evidence-based approach will become increasingly important as the Regional Development Strategy continues to evolve and becomes more closely linked to public infrastructure investment with the flexibility to accommodate economic growth.

 

Regional Development Strategy and Local Planning / Strategy

 

      The Minister stated that the RDS will be a means to an end rather than an end in itself. This statement reflected what would be a more involved role for the plan and Department “that must concern implementation, and the actions and priorities necessary to deliver the vision”. From the announcement it was clear that the Minister considered that the revised strategy would have clearer linkages to other planning mechanisms which “must set out how connections could be made to deliver a more sustainable future development”.

 

      This suggests a greater role for the strategy in informing how places are shaped and developed at a local level. The approach to the review provides the opportunity to develop a new form of working between the strategic and local planning levels, which could reflect the potential structures that may evolve as part of the Review of Public Administration.

 

      The statement recognises the need to take account of structures emerging as part of the Review of Public Administration and whilst regional planning and policy statements will remain a Central Government function, it accepts that relationships with local planning and development management must be structured in an efficient and effective way.

 

      The benefits of this new more integrated approach is recognised in the findings of the five year review and is highlighted in the consideration of the relationship between the RDS and the Investment Strategy.  Whilst the potential benefits of the better integration are clear the details in relation to the future statutory relationships between the Regional Development Strategy and local planning/plans will need careful consideration to ensure the retention of a degree of autonomy.

 

      The five year review highlighted that the RDS did not have the influence that was anticipated due to a combination of factors, including insufficient detail and clarity on matters such as housing need, rural development and the growth of cities and towns. There will be a direct relationship between the level of prescriptive detail in the RDS and the degree of local autonomy that may be available to local planning authorities in relation to local policy and the scale of potential development.

 

Trends and Local Issues

 

      In relation to the specific past development and existing trends a number of issues could be identified through the monitoring of the RDS:

 

·         A decline in the population in the Belfast Metropolitan Urban Area but growth in population of small settlements and open countryside in rural NI.

 

·         A predicted growth in overall population in NI and increase in the number of households which will continue to drive the need for additional houses.

 

·         Despite the economic growth, working age inactivity is higher than any region in the UK, innovation levels and entrepreneurial activity are comparatively low and infrastructure needs further upgrading.

 

·         The trend of increasing number of vehicles in the region continues and the public transport use altered little between 2001 and 2004.

 

·         In 2005, road transport accounted for 31% of the regions CO2 emissions, compared to 19.1% of the UK’s CO2 emissions.

 

      The approach adopted for the RDS and the level of detail in relation to policies and targets to address these trends and past development could have implications for the development of the city. The Council in engaging with the review process needs to be cognisant of the potential RDS implications for Council aspirations in relation to:

 

·         The maintenance and development of the role of Belfast as the regional centre;

 

·         The integration of the City into wider development strategies that address the regional balance of Northern Ireland;

 

·         The location of key infrastructure projects required for the Belfast Metropolitan area and their prioritisation including waste management;

 

·         The context for the proposed transfer of local planning functions through RPA;

 

·         The potential for population-led regeneration and continued growth;

 

·         The continued growth of Belfast as a sustainable, vibrant, modern and compact City;

 

·         The ability and measures to address the need for social and affordable housing;

 

·         The promotion of public transport and the reduction in the use of the private car;

 

·         The improvement and management of air quality; and

 

·         The ability to respond to issues of climate change and sustainability

 

      These issues and trends will need to be addressed as part of a detailed response to the 10 year review of the Regional Development Strategy. There will be both informal and formal opportunities to respond to the proposals, in the period

leading up to the publication of the proposed consultation draft early next year, through the ongoing participation in the working groups and any proposed consultation events.”

 

            The Committee adopted the foregoing recommendations.