Draft Plan Strategy 2030
The draft Plan Strategy was published for a four-week period of pre-consultation running from 28 June 2019 to 25 July 2019. A formal period of public consultation ran from 26 July 2019 to 20 September 2019. The Plan and all its documents can be viewed below.
Current Consultation
All representations made to the draft Plan Strategy are open to public inspection during the 8 week period of counter representation. Full details are available below.
Draft Plan Strategy and Associated Documents
The Plan Strategy is one of two development plan documents which, when read together, will comprise the LDP for the Borough. The second document is the
Local Policies Plan and this will be brought forward by the Council once the Plan Strategy has been adopted.
This
information leaflet contains details of this key stage of the plan and the overall Local Development Plan process.
A copy of the public notices published in the Belfast Gazette and local newspapers are provided for information below.
EAPP Public Regulations Notice
Public Notice
Should you require a copy of this document in an alternative format, it can be made available on request in large print, audio format, DAISY or Braille. It may also be made available in minority languages to meet the needs of those whom English is not their first language.
Our contact details are set out at the bottom of this page.
Draft Plan Strategy
Assessments:
Sustainability Appraisal (incorporating the Strategic Environmental Assessment) Report
Sustainability Appraisal Non-Technical Summary
Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report
Draft Habitats Regulations Assessment
Equality (Section 75) Screening and Rural Needs Impact Assessment Report
Evidence Papers
The Council has prepared its draft Plan Strategy in tandem with existing and emerging Transport Plans prepared by the Department for Infrastructure. Further information on Transport Plans is available on the Department for Infrastructure website.
Availability of representations for public inspection and 8 week public consultation for counter representations on site specific policy representations
We would like to thank everyone who responded to our draft Plan Strategy consultation.
In accordance with Regulation 17 of the Planning (Local Development Plan) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015, all representations received during the statutory public consultation period on the Antrim and Newtownabbey Local Development Plan 2030 - draft Plan Strategy are now available for inspection.
A copy of the Regulation 17 Notice can be found
here
Hard copies of the representations can be viewed in the tables below and also at the Council’s Offices located at Mossley Mill, Newtownabbey and Antrim Civic Centre, Antrim, Monday to Friday between the hours of 8:30am and 5pm.
Public consultation on site specific policy representations (counter representations)
In accordance with Regulation 18 of the aforementioned Regulations, any person may make a counter representation in relation to the representations received to the Council’s draft Plan Strategy.
The period for counter representations is 8 weeks, beginning on Friday 11 October 2019 and closing at 5pm on Friday 6 December 2019.
What is a counter representation?
A counter representation provides an opportunity for interested parties to respond to ‘
site specific policy representations’ received to the draft Plan Strategy and to respond if they so wish.
A ‘site specific policy’ means a policy in the draft Plan Strategy which identifies a site for a particular use or development.
A ‘site specific policy representation’ means any representation which is seeking to change the draft Plan Strategy by:
- adding a site specific policy to the draft Plan Strategy: or
- altering or deleting any site specific policy in the draft Plan Strategy.
A counter representation should therefore be specifically related to and identify the relevant draft Plan Strategy ‘site specific representation’ and indicate the reasons for doing so in terms of the soundness and sustainability of the draft Plan Strategy.
A counter representation is
not an opportunity to raise new issues regarding the draft Plan Strategy, rather it allows interested parties to consider and respond to potential changes proposed by representations previously submitted during the public consultation on the draft Plan Strategy which ran from 26 July to 20 September 2019. As a consequence, a counter representation must relate to a previously submitted site specific policy representation and must not propose any further changes to the draft Plan Strategy. A counter representation should indicate the reasons for doing do in terms of soundness and sustainability of the draft Plan Strategy.
Further information on counter representations, including site specific policy representations, can be found in the Department for Infrastructure’s published
Development Plan Practice Note 9 ‘Submission and Handling of Representations' and in the Planning Appeals Commission published guidance
Procedures for Independent Examination of Local Development Plans
How to make a counter representation
Counter representations will be treated as a formal representation and considered at the Independent Examination (IE). The focus at the IE will be on the soundness of the draft Plan Strategy, and counter representations should therefore be based on soundness.
You must clearly state the reference number of the representation to which your counter representation relates so that we, and the Independent Examiner, can ensure that your counter representation is considered as fully as possible.
Counter representations should be made in writing and we would encourage you to use the methods set out below:-
Online
- Via our online consultation hub at: www.antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk/consultations
- Downloading a copy of the response form here and forwarding it to the Forward Planning Team; or
- Requesting a copy of our repose form to be posted to you or you may collect a hard copy from Mossley Mill or Antrim Civic Centre and return it to the Forward Planning Team.
By Mail
Counter representations must be received by 5pm on Friday 6 December 2019. Any submissions received after this time will not be considered.
For further assistance, please contact the Forward Planning Team.
Draft Plan Strategy Representations
Representations received in respect of Local Development Plan 2030 - draft Plan Strategy can be accessed from the table below.
Representations on Supporting Assessments
Representations that primarily or wholly relate to the draft Plan Strategy’s supporting assessments – the Equality (Section 75) Screening and Rural Needs Impact Assessment (RNIA), Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) and the Sustainability Appraisal incorporating the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SA/SEA) – can be accessed form the table below.
These have been provided for information purposes and it should be noted that a number of the representations on the draft Plan Strategy listed in the main table may also make reference to these supporting assessments.
| Reference |
Respondent |
On behalf of |
Assessment |
| LA03/DPS/0032 |
Historic Environment Division (Department for Communities) |
|
SA/SEA |
| LA03/DPS/0046 |
Autism NI |
|
EQIA |
| LA03/DPS/0102 |
Northern Ireland Environment Division (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs) |
|
SA/Draft HRA |
Soundness
A key feature of Northern Ireland’s new Planning System for LDPs is ‘Soundness’ which requires the Plan documents be tested in terms of content, conformity and the process by which they are produced, at Independent Examination (IE).
The tests of soundness are based upon three categories which relate to how the draft Plan Strategy has been produced, the alignment of the document with central government regional plans, policy and guidance and the coherence, consistency and effectiveness of the content of the draft Plan Strategy. The tests of soundness are set out below:
Procedural tests
P1. Has the Plan been prepared in accordance with the Council’s timetable and the
Statement of Community Involvement?
P2. Has the council prepared its Preferred Options Paper and taken into account any
representations made?
P3. Has the Plan been subject to sustainability appraisal including Strategic Environmental
Assessment?
P4. Did the Council comply with the regulations on the form and content of its Plan and
procedure for preparing the Plan?
Consistency tests
C1. Did the Council take account of the Regional Development Strategy?
C2. Did the Council take account of its Community Plan?
C3. Did the Council take account of policy and guidance issued by the Department?
C4. Has the Plan had regard to other relevant plans, policies and strategies relating to the
Council’s district or to any adjoining Council’s district?
Coherence and effectiveness tests
CE1. The Plan sets out a coherent strategy from which its policies and allocations logically flow
and where cross boundary issues are relevant it is not in conflict with the plans of
neighbouring councils.
CE2. The strategy, policies and allocations are realistic and appropriate having considered the
relevant alternatives and are founded on a robust evidence base.
CE3. There are clear mechanisms for implementation and monitoring.
CE4. The Plan is reasonably flexible to enable it to deal with changing circumstances.
The presumption is that the draft Plan Strategy is sound unless it is shown to be otherwise as a result of evidence considered at the Independent Examination stage by the Planning Appeals Commission.
Next steps
Counter representations received during the statutory 8 week consultation period will in due course be published online and made available for inspection at Mossley Mill and Antrim Civic Centre.
Representations and Counter Representations will be submitted to the Department for Infrastructure in due course, where they will be considered as part of the Independent Examination process. Please see our privacy statement regarding how your personal data will be treated by clicking
here.