Local Development Plan (LDP)
Newry Mourne and Down District Council is responsible for the preparation of a development plan for the District and has commenced work on the Newry Mourne and Down Local Development Plan (LDP).
This new Plan will (when adopted) replace the existing development plans, the Banbridge, Newry and Mourne Area Plan 2015 and the Ards and Down Area Plan 2015 (in so far as they apply to the District).
The LDP will provide a clear vision of how the District should develop spatially up to 2030 by providing a planning framework to support local economic and social needs, in line with regional strategies and policies, whilst protecting the environment.
The LDP will provide a 15 year plan framework to support economic and social needs in the District, in line with regional strategies and policies, while providing the delivery of sustainable development. The LDP will inform the general public, statutory authorities, developers and other interested bodies of the policy framework and land use proposals that will guide development decisions; and will be the primary consideration in the determination of planning applications for the development or use of land in the District.
The LDP will be prepared within the context of the Council’s Corporate Plan and Community Plan. In providing a statutory link with the Community Plan, the LDP will include a spatial land use reflection of the Community Plan providing a vision of how places should change and what they will be like in the future.
Preparation of the Local Development Plan
There are 4 key stages in the LDP preparation process:
Stage 1: Initial Plan Preparation
Stage 2: Preparation and Adoption of the Plan Strategy
Stage 3: Preparation and Adoption of the Local Policies Plan
Stage 4: Monitoring and Review
The Council is at Stage 1, which includes the development of the evidence base, preparation of the LDP Timetable and Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) and the production of Preferred Options Paper (POP).
As part of Stage 1, a programme of preparatory work has been undertaken as part of the LDP process, including background research, survey and information gathering, and a number of preparatory papers on a range of topics have been produced. In developing the evidence base for preparing the LDP, the data gathered as part of these studies will be used to establish the baseline of the social, economic and environmental characteristics of the District and enable the Council to identify the issues which need to be addressed by the LDP. The evidence base will be reviewed and kept up to date to ensure it remains reliable and relevant.
Preferred Options Paper (POP)
The POP will contain a series of options for dealing with key issues in the District, as well as the Council’s justification for its proposed approach. The POP will indicate the Council’s preferred options for growth and development in the District. The POP will be subject to public consultation. It is at this stage in the plan preparation process, that the public and stakeholders will have their first opportunity to put forward views and influence the LDP.
In preparing the POP, the Council must undertake the initial stages of a Sustainability Appraisal (SA). The SA is a continual process which runs parallel with the preparation of the POP, Plan Strategy and Local Policies Plan.
LDP Timetable
The LDP Timetable sets out the Council’s indicative programme for the production of the LDP and includes details of the key stages of the plan preparation process from the initial stages of the Preferred Options Paper through to the preparation and adoption of the Plan Strategy and subsequent Local Policies Plan.
Statement of Community Involvement
The Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) is a guide to community engagement in the planning process. The SCI outlines how the Council will engage with its citizens and stakeholders in exercising its planning functions; it sets out the procedures for involving the community in the production of the LDP, in the consideration of planning applications, in planning enforcement, and in the Council’s other planning functions.
Further information on Stages 2, 3 and 4 of the LDP preparation process will be posted on the Council’s webpage at the appropriate time, in the meantime information on these Stages is contained within the LDP Timetable and SCI.
Both the LDP Timetable and SCI can be viewed or downloaded from the Council’s website:
www.newrymournedown.org/planning
Alternatively, both documents can also be inspected between the hours of 9.00 am – 5.00 pm (Monday to Friday) at the Council’s Planning Offices at O’Hagan House, Monaghan Row, Newry BT35 8DJ or at the Downshire Civic Centre, Downshire Estate, Ardglass Road, Downpatrick BT30 6GQ.
Comments should be returned to the Development Plan Team by 9th March 2018 by post or email using the addresses below.
If you wish to discuss this letter or require further information on the LDP, please contact the Development Plan Team using the contact details below.
Contact:
 Newry, Mourne and Down District Council
Planning Department
Development Plan Team
Downshire Civic Centre
Downshire Estate, Ardglass Road
Downpatrick BT30 6GQ.
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Tel: 0300 013 2233
Email: planning@nmandd.org
