The BIG clear-up!

THE recent publication of the new rural planning policy, PPS21, will have a positive effect on some 150 Ballymena deferred planning applications, it has been revealed.

Planning Service is holding 345 applications in the Ballymena office, 150 of them relating specifically to the Ballymena district, which would have been refused under draft PPS21.

All of these will now be re-assessed under PPS21 and decisions issued within six months, Councillors have been told.

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The welcome news was broken to last Thursday night’s monthly Public Sector Liaison Meeting of Council which was attended by senior planning officer, Cathy McKeary.

Mrs McKeary said the local office was “not the worst off” for held applications and added that a commitment had been given to work through them as soon as is practicably possible.

She pointed out that all the applications will come back with new recommendations from the department and that councillors would have the option of defering them for an office meeting under the new policy.

Announcing the new PPS21 earlier this month, Minister, Mr. Edwin Poots said: "In publishing PPS21 we have done what we promised. We have balanced the need to protect the countryside from unnecessary or inappropriate development, while supporting rural communities. We have created a policy which is right for Northern Ireland. We are also ending the uncertainty about development in the countryside and providing the planning policy context for deciding planning applications in rural areas."

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The Minister continued: "The extensive public consultation demonstrated broad support for the balanced policies in draft PPS 21. During the consultation period there were 16 public information days across Northern Ireland together with a number of seminars and meetings to encourage as many people as possible to tell us what they thought.

"We have listened to what people said and we have responded by carrying forward all the benefits of draft PPS21 including Dispersed Rural Communities, replacement dwellings and dwellings on farms.

"We have refined, improved and clarified the document. This will help home builders make better applications and help planners make faster decisions."

Importantly, PPS21 includes a new policy which provides for rounding-off or consolidation of clusters of existing development in the countryside.

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Planning Service is holding over 2,400 applications province-wide which would have been refused under draft PPS21.

All of these will now be re-assessed under PPS21.

Meanwhile, North Antrim Sinn Fin MLA Daith McKay has said that whilst some changes to PPS21 are to be welcomed he believes that planning regulations do not go far enough to ensure the sustainability of rural communities.

He has also demanded a postponement of the redeployment of planning staff to allow Planning Service to deal with the new changes.

Mr McKay said: “This revised policy will provide increased opportunities to develop in the countryside as it is less restrictive in terms of the applicants’ personal and domestic circumstances. It allows building within existing clusters and a clearer definition of criteria for gap sites, as well as an opportunity to develop away from farm clusters.

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“There is still work to be done to meet the needs of non farming rural dwellers and plans to reconvene the Ministerial sub- group and to publish a new rural design guide by the autumn are welcome developments.

“In the meantime the Environment Minister Edwin Poots needs to give a commitment to the unions and staff of the planning service that redeployment of planning service workers will be delayed so as not to interfere with service delivery, in light of the new changes,” said Mr McKay.