FOR the first time in 10 years,  landowners are being urged to participate in forming future settlement boundaries throughout Northern Ireland. 

If you have a site you would like included within a settlement, or a site currently within a settlement that you would like to protect from dezoning then read 2020’s guide to help you understand the process.   

What is a Local Development Plan?

The Local Development Plan (LDP) is a spatial land use plan.  It will guide future development and use of land in our towns, villages, and rural areas.  Each of the 11 Councils are responsible for their own respective LDP which will contain a vision of each council area until 2030.

Who should get involved?

Everyone is invited to get involved.  This process will determine future settlement parameters and land to be zoned for housing development AND land to dezoned in areas where there is adequate housing provision.  Currently, every council is undergoing an evidence gathering process.

2020 Architects recommend you get involved in the process early if;

• You have land which currently borders a settlement boundary and would like to promote its inclusion for development potential.
• You have undeveloped land contained in a settlement boundary and want to protect it from the threat of being dezoned.

When should I get involved?

Our advice is to get involved now.  Each council will publish their ‘Preferred Options Paper’ in 2017 – with the new Local Development Plans coming into action in 2020.

Mid-Ulster Council’s  POP seeks responses from interested parties by 27th January, 2017 so URGENT attention needs to be given to any interested people within this council area.

Land with maximum potential to be considered for development includes;

• Land within an existing development zone
• Land previously considered for development
• Land situated in close proximity to an existing settlement

However, there are no definitive rules and every piece of land is unique.

How can I get involved?

If you are a land owner in Northern Ireland and are interested in future-proofing the development status of your land or you want your land considered for development within new settlement boundaries, then it is essential to register your interest at this stage.  Failure to do so could mean you miss out.

Due to the scale and time sensitive nature of these applications, 2020 Architects are working in partnership with specialist planning consultants to carry out individual assessments on each site.

The planning consultant will first of all carry out an initial feasibility on your land and if there is merit to carry out a full assessment, we will forward you a quote for the report.

We will get back to you as soon as the provisional feasibility has been completed and in the meantime, if you have any questions, our team is here to answer them.

To get in touch with 2020 Architects and register your  interest in protecting your land click here.  Alternatively email; info@2020architects.co.uk  or Tel; 028 2766 7999.