Antrim and Newtownabbey Local Development Plan 2030
We are preparing a new Local Development Plan for the Borough that will look forward to the year 2030.
The purpose of the new LDP will be to inform the public, statutory authorities, developers and other interested parties of how the Borough should develop in the years ahead.
The Plan will balance competing demands and aim to ensure that good development occurs in the right place, at the right time. It will contain policies and proposals that will be used in determining planning applications. A good plan will lead to decisions that are consistent and people will know what to expect in terms of change, and the locations where development will be encouraged.
The Plan will be prepared in the context of the Council’s overall Corporate Plan and wider government policy including the Regional Development Strategy 2035 and the Strategic Planning Policy Statement. It will also take account of the Council's published Community Plan Love Living Here.
The new Local Development Plan has a number of key stages. Further guidance can be viewed in the Towards Preferred Options Document or on the Department for Infrastructure website. The local development plan preparation process is specified in the Planning (Northern Ireland) Act 2011 and the Planning (Local Development Plan) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015
The Council has published the first key stage of the Local Development Plan 2030, the draft Plan Strategy for public consultation. Further information on this can be found by clicking here
Local Development Plan Timetable
The Council is required to publish a Local Development Plan Timetable under the requirements of the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 and the Planning (Local Development Plan) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015.
The Council has published an updated Timetable with indicative dates for the main stages of the Local Development Plan. This updated Timetable replaces the Council’s previous Timetable, which was published in January 2016.
The revised Timetable also includes information on the new tests of soundness on which the Local Development Plan will be assessed during Independent Examination.
To view the Timetable please click here
Statement of Community Involvement
The Council has published a Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) including how we will engage with you during the local development plan process. Details of the SCI can be viewed here
Statement of Community Involvement Update
The Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) refers to the project management team for the Local Development Plan being involved in the Sustainability Appraisal for the Plan.
The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) has now written to all councils following concerns regarding the extent to which statutory consultation bodies should provide input into the sustainability appraisal. The key issue relates to DAERA which, because it has a role in relation to the discharge of its functions as the consultation body for the purposes of the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations (NI 2004), may be viewed as having a conflict of interest. DfI is currently considering reviewing its guidance.
It is considered that there is no detriment to the Council’s Local Development Plan at this time. The Shared Environmental Service (SES), which has been appointed to carry out the necessary assessment, undertook the assessment of Preferred Options Paper with Council officers and nominated party representatives.
The Forward Planning Team will continue to liaise with SES regarding the assessment of the next stages of the plan and who should be involved. At this stage, it is proposed that that section of DAERA that is involved in the Sustainability Appraisal will not take part in the Council’s appraisal of any Local Development Plan document.
Departmental Changes:
Since the publication of the Statement of Community Involvement, the number of Government Departments were reduced and renamed. Where a reference is made in the Statement of Community Involvement to the Local Development Plan and Department of Environment and Department for Regional Development, the subject functions are now within the Department of Infrastructure; likewise, the Department for Social Development is now the Department for Communities.
Independent Examination and Soundness
Each stage of the Local Development Plan will be published in draft for a period of publication and will be subject to an Independent Examination. The next stage to be published will be the draft Plan Strategy.
The purpose of the Independent Examination is to determine whether the plan satisfies statutory requirements and is sound. Soundness is a new requirement in the Local Development Plan process and will be based on 12 tests set out in the Department of Infrastructure’s Development Plan Practice Note 06 Soundness.
If you are interested in the Local Development Plan and consider you may wish to make a representation to the plan during the period of public consultation, it is recommended that you read Development Plan Practice Note 06 which can be accessed here to familiarise yourself with the new tests that the plan will be assessed under.
It is also recommended that you read the Planning Appeals Commission “Procedures for Independent Examination of Local Development Plan” which can be accessed here. This sets out the stages of the Independent Examination and how your response (known as a representation) to the plan will be taken forward.
The Planning Appeals Commission strongly advise that people who make representations seeking to change a plan state clearly why they consider the plan to be unsound, having regard to the tests in DPPN 06. To assist, the Council will develop a form to accompany the plan, as recommended by the Planning Appeals Commission, at the time of public consultation to assist in making representations.
Further information on representations can be found in the Department of Infrastructures Development Plan Practice Note 09 Submission and Handling of Representations which can be viewed here.
Monitoring
The new Local Development Plan Process will require the Council to prepare a monitoring report once the Plan is adopted and published.
As part of the plan preparation, the Council has already undertaken monitoring of housing land availability within all our settlements. The purpose of the Housing Monitor is to:-
- monitor the course of housing development in settlements with regard to the Regional Development Strategy (RDS);
- monitor progress of housing development in settlements in accordance with the provisions of prevailing Development Plans;
- inform the preparation of our new Local Development Plan with regard to the allocation of land for housing and
- provide information on the available potential for further housing development in settlements
A copy of the Council’s housing monitor for the 2017 period can be accessed here
A copy of the Council’s housing latest monitor for the 2018 period can be accessed here
General Data Protection Regulation
Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by producing a specific Local Development Plan Privacy Notice, which lets you know how we manage any personal information we receive from you. It contains the standards you can expect when we ask for, or hold, your personal information and an explanation of our information management security policy.
A copy of our Local Development Plan Privacy Notice is available here. All representations received will be published on our website and made available at Mossley Mill and Antrim Civic Centre for public inspection. All representations will be forwarded to the Department of Infrastructure in advance of Independent Examination.
Keeping Involved
The Council wishes to encourage the ongoing involvement of the local community in the LDP process. You can sign up to receive our Local Development Plan emails to keep up to date of the progress of the Plan and upcoming events.
If you would like to receive our Local Development Plan emails, please send your details, including name, address and email address to planning@antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk or download the Community Involvement form here and forward it to the Forward Planning Team via post or email.
Contact Us
Should you have a query please contact us via the methods below:
By Post – Forward Planning Team
Mossley Mill
Carnmoney Road North
Newtownabbey
BT36 5QA
By Email – planning@antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk
By Telephone – 0300 123 6677