Shopkeepers welcome scrapping of controversial planning proposal

LOCAL shopkeepers welcomed Environment Minister Alex Attwood’s dropping of a controversial new planning proposal that would have opened the door for private developers to proceed with otherwise unacceptable schemes in Londonderry because of their economic value to the area.
By The Newsroom
Published 15th Sep 2011, 12:23 BST

Under the scrapped ‘Planning Policy Statement 24 (PPS24)’ economic considerations could have been used to give extra weight to a development that is likely to be of significant economic benefit to the city.

Environment Minister Alex Attwood last week announced he will not now introduce the proposed new planning policy after listening to the public, business groups and the commercial sector.

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Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association (NIIRTA) Chief Executive Glyn Roberts said: “While NIIRTA put forward some detailed proposals to the consultation on this, we believe Minister Attwood has made the right decision not proceed with PPS 24.

“We were concerned that developers and the multiples would have used PPS 24 as reason to push through more unsustainable out of town superstore applications which could cause considerable damage to town centres.

“Minister Attwood’s priority must now be to publish the long awaited draft PPS 5 to protect our town centres and limit massive out of town retail development.”

Mr Attwood said: “As no weight has ever been given to draft PPS24 in the determination of planning applications, my decision will have no impact on planning decisions already made, nor on consideration of those applications currently in the planning system.

“But as I have made clear, I aim to create a planning environment which is positive to business and reform planning to make it more fit for business.”