Council tackles planning issues head on

That's the message Development Chair, Councillor John Finlay, who led the delegation, brought back to his colleagues from the Stormont meeting.

Addressing the Development Committee on his return Councillor Finlay said: "The meeting was useful and positive. The Minister gave us a very fair hearing. He was sympathetic to the problems we are facing on securing planning approval for proposals for some farm diversification and tourism businesses and self-catering developments in rural areas, as well as hotel development and issues with signage in our town."

Speaking about the current planning problems with signage for shops in the town centre which has seen over a dozen businesses being serviced with enforcement notices the Councillor said: "I put strongly to the Minister the need to secure a resolution to the impasse, particularly in the present economic climate when some businesses are experiencing difficulty in finding growth to keep going. To their credit many have invested in the refurbishment of their property and need to take opportunities to market their business in these challenging times.

"It is demonstration of the Minister's interest that he committed to take time in the next few weeks to visit our town and see at first hand the problems with signage. We welcome this opportunity to explore the matter further with a view to trying to find a logical way through without detracting from the historic town centre buildings."

Councillor Finlay also revealed that the Minister on his visit will view the site for a proposed hotel in the town.

Said Councillor Finlay "Planning Service have refused to accept a development proposal for much-needed additional hotel provision close to the town centre, due to what we regard as totally unacceptable car parking requirements by Roads Service. This has caused us much concern and frustration given that we commissioned an independent hotel study proving the need for hotel provision."

Turning to planning for rural businesses, farm diversification projects, tourism and self-catering accommodation, many of which hope to take advantage of rural development grants, Councillor Finlay said: "in this largely rural area rural jobs are vital and we want also to take advantage, too, of untapped tourism potential to create new product.

"We argued that the planning system is very rigid and biased against such development in rural areas, preventing it rather than encouraging it. Also the time taken to process applications is a particular problem for people applying for grants. I called on the Minister to encourage a change in approach from planning officers – to find ways to approve those applications with potential to create new businesses, tourism product, holiday accommodation and jobs and make a much-needed contribution to the economy."

Concluding, Councillor Finlay said "On the planning front generally there was some good news - the Minister revealed that the Department hoped soon to move the Northern Area Plan to public inquiry stage having got the judicial review stopped. This is long awaited and we welcome the move. With particular interest to people wanting to provide self-catering developments the Minister revealed that planning policy statement PPS16 was to issue soon to give a policy context to self-catering accommodation."