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LDP Independent Examination (IE) Report has been forwarded by PAC to DfI

15^th May 2024

The Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) has now completed its Report into the Independent Examination (IE) of the Council’s Local Development Plan (LDP) draft Plan Strategy. The PAC forwarded the Report on 10^th May 2024 to the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) Strategic Planning team. DfI will then consider the PAC Report and will issue a binding Direction to the Council. Subject to the content of that Direction and required Modifications, the Council anticipates Adoption of the LDP Plan Strategy by the end of 2024 or early 2025.

The Council’s Planning LDP team is currently doing the initial work tasks required for the Adoption and simultaneous commencement of implementation of the LDP Plan Strategy, as well as the preparatory work on the LDP Local Policies Plan (LPP). The Local Policies Plan is required to be ‘consistent’ with the adopted LDP Plan Strategy. The Council’s overall Timetable for producing the LDP can be viewed on this LDP webpage here

LDP Plan Strategy Independent Examination (IE) has concluded

8^th November 2023

The Independent Examination (IE) hearing sessions for the Council’s LDP draft Plan Strategy took place over four weeks between 5^th September and 4^th October 2023, conducted by Commissioner O’Neill of the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC).

The details of the IE, including its Examination Library and Matters Arising, can be viewed on the PAC website here. In particular, the PAC Examination Closing Notes state that the Commissioner expects to deliver the IE Report to the DfI Regional Planning team by April 2024.

The Council’s overall Timetable for producing the LDP can be viewed on this LDP webpage here. It anticipates that the Council will receive the IE Report and LDP Plan Strategy Direction from DfI in the summer of 2024, followed by Adoption of the LDP Plan Strategy by the end of 2024 or early 2025. The Council’s Planning LDP team is currently doing the initial work tasks required for the Adoption and implementation of the LDP Plan Strategy, as well as the preparatory work on the LDP Local Policies Plan (LPP). The Local Policies Plan is required to be ‘consistent’ with the adopted LDP Plan Strategy.

WHO WE ARE?

On 1st April 2015, Planning powers transferred from the Department of the Environment (DOE) to the Derry City and Strabane District Council.

The Council now also has powers of Local Development Plan (LDP), Development Management and Enforcement which it will implement in cases where planning laws have been breached.

The LDP Team, together with senior Council officers and the elected Members of the Council (Planning Committee), are responsible for producing the LDP for our District.

WHAT IS LDP?

The purpose of the Derry City and Strabane District LDP, is to inform the general public, statutory authorities, developers and other interested bodies of the policy framework and land use proposals that will implement the strategic objectives of the Regional Development Strategy and guide development decisions within Derry City and Strabane District up to 2032.

Our new LDP will be prepared within the context of the Council’s Corporate Plan and will co-ordinate with the Community Planning process to enable us to plan positively for the future of our District. It will ensure that lands are appropriately zoned and that our infrastructure is enhanced to develop the District for future generations.

The LDP must also take account of the regional policy context set by the Northern Ireland Executive and Central Government Departments. This includes, amongst others, the Sustainable Development Strategy, Regional Development Strategy and the Strategic Planning Policy Statement - published in September 2015.

The LDP will comprise two separate documents that will shape development within our District over the period to 2032

The Plan Strategy
The Local Policies Plan

THE LDP TIMETABLE, REVISED JULY 2023

The LDP Timetable has been formally revised, advertised and published in July 2023. The Timetable sets out Derry City and Strabane District Council's programme for the production of its Local Development Plan (LDP 2032) and includes details of the key stages in the process.

This Revised LDP Timetable was approved by the Council and DfI; it anticipates holding the Independent Examination (IE) of the LDP draft Plan Strategy during September and October 2023.

View the Local Development Plan (LDP) Timetable Revision 2023

The LDP will, on adoption of both its component plan documents, replace the Strabane Area Plan 2001 and the Derry Area Plan 2011 and the suite of Planning Policy Statements (PPS’s) that were produced by the Department of the Environment.

See current NI Planning Policy Statements:

https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/publications/retained-planning-policy

See current NI Planning Guidance documents:

https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/topics/planning/planning-guidance

See Strategic Planning Policy Statement for NI (SPPS):

https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/publications/strategic-planning-policy-statement

See Regional Development Strategy for NI (RDS 2035):

https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/articles/regional-planning

See current NI Planning Legislation:

https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/articles/current-planning-legislation

VIEW OUR DISTRICT’S CURRENT AREA PLANS

Until such times as the LDP is adopted, the relevant Area Plans currently applicable to our District are the Derry Area Plan 2011, adopted in May 2000 and the Strabane Area Plan 2001, adopted in April 1991.

Click on the following link to view an online version of the Derry Area Plan and its associated documents.

Derry Area Plan 2011
Map Library (This can be found on the right hand side of the page)

Click on the following link to view an online version of the Derry Area Plan 2011, Designated Flat Zone Map – FL1.

Derry Area Plan 2011, Designated Flat Zone Map - FL1

Click on the following pdf to view an online version of the Strabane Area Plan.

Strabane Area Plan 2001

MONITORING

The Council monitors the amount of housing land and number of units built together with the amount of economic land across the District as well as various environmental indicators. The annual Housing Monitor tracks the progress of housing completions across the District and provides the basis for informing how and where best to distribute housing across the settlement hierarchy.

Housing Monitor sites are those which are identified as potentially suitable for residential development in prevailing development plans through zonings and any other urban sites that have been granted planning permission for residential development. Therefore, the Housing Monitor only relates to sites on zoned Housing land and planning approvals and is only within the respective settlement limits.

The Council’s ongoing monitoring will contribute towards the legislative obligations to prepare an Annual Monitoring Report (AMR) which must contain information on the extent to which the objectives of the LDP are being achieved.

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 developments in settlements in accordance with the provisions of prevailing Development Plans;
Inform the preparation of our new LDP 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 2022-2023 period can be accessed below:

Housing Monitor 2022-2023 update report

A copy of the Council's Housing Monitor for the 2021-2022 period can be accessed below:

Housing Monitor 2021-2022 update report

A copy of the Council's Housing Monitor for the 2019-2021 period can be accessed below:

2019-2021 - Housing Monitor Summary Report

A copy of the Council’s Housing Monitor for the 2018 – 19 period can be accessed below.

A copy of the Council’s Housing Monitor for the 2014- 17 period can be accessed below.

Disclaimer

Please note that the NILUD database was set up for the former Derry City and Strabane District Councils – so the earlier reports are still presented on this basis.

Data contained in these Monitors is derived from planning permissions and from Building Control completions data through Land and Property Services (LPS).

Derry City & Strabane District Council provides no warranty in relation to the accuracy for the information contained within these Monitors. Any person placing reliance on this data does so at their own risk.

Local Development Plan