Government plans to cut back rural planning approval

Proposals to protect Northern Ireland's countryside have today been published by Planning Minister Jeff Rooker.

The Minister was speaking at the launch of the draft Planning Policy Statement, the PPS 14, which proposes stricter planning policies for rural areas as current levels of rural planning approval in Northern Ireland are unsustainable.

Lord Rooker said: "PPS 14 is designed to protect one of Northern Ireland's greatest assets, its countryside. At present the numbers of rural planning approvals here are three times the combined total in England, Scotland and Wales.

"In 2004/05 alone there were 9,520 approvals for new dwellings. Indications are that the 2005/06 figures will be well over 12,000. "That's equivalent to a town the size of Ballymena being built and is five times the level of just over a decade ago."

The Minister also announced that although the policy was published today for a 12-week consultation period, it would immediately take precedence on all new proposals.

Lord Rooker continued: "This step was not taken lightly. Not to have done so however would have meant that Planning Service would have been swamped with applications during the consultation period. This would have undermined the very purpose of the proposed new policies."

Among these policies are plans to protect and support the rural community, which will include supportive policies for retiring farmers, farm workers, farm diversification and a new policy for social housing in the countryside.

The Minister added: "The countryside is one of Northern Ireland's greatest assets. It is in everyone's interests to protect it. The current level of development in the countryside threatens the rural landscape. There are concerns about water quality caused by the increased use of septic tanks."

He concluded by saying that the present level of approvals has caused an increase of traffic and pollution on rural roads and it is because of this that he decided to introduce more restrictive planning policies for the countryside.

(EF/SP)