Comment

Mid Ulster: Draft Plan Strategy

Mid Ulster Council has published its draft Plan Strategy (dPS).

The dPS sets out the council's strategic objectives for accommodating new development until 2030 in the form of new homes and economic development to address future needs, whilst protecting the environmental quality and assets of the area.

Once adopted, the Plan will replace three existing Area Plans:
• Cookstown Area Plan 2010;
• Dungannon and South Tyrone Area Plan 2010; and
• Magherafelt Area Plan 2015.

Key Points

1. 11,000 new homes will be required by 2030 to accommodate a range of housing needs (homes for smaller households, families, the elderly and social housing). The Plan indicates the intention to focus growth on the three main towns - Cookstown, Dungannon and Magherafelt.
2. 8,500 new jobs will be created and 170 hectares of employment land identified within the Plan. In acknowledgement of the shortage of economic development land in Dungannon, an additional interim supply has been identified at Dungannon and Granville.

Housing

• 60% of the council's Housing Growth Indicator (HGI), which equates to 6,570 housing units, will be accommodated within Cookstown, Dungannon and Magherafelt.
• Proposed phasing of housing sites to facilitate longer-term provision of housing and introduce flexibility to respond to the annual monitoring / 5 year review.
• No significant changes to the Settlement Hierarchy; 4 Small Settlements have been identified (Derryloughan, Derrytresk. Tullywiggan and Edencrannon).
• Sites of 50 units or more or 2 hectares or more will be required to deliver 25% social housing (note: not affordable, solely social), where there is an identified need.
• Phase 2 lands will be identified in Magherafelt at the Local Policies Plan (LLP) stage. Lands currently zoned as Phase 2 within Cookstown and Dungannon will be reconsidered at LPP.
• Phase 2 lands will only be brought forward where:

1. Plan review or LLP identifies a need for the land to come forward sooner;

2. The proposal is for social housing accommodation to meet a specific needs; or

3. There is an overriding need for health, community or education facility that a zone would deliver.

• Specific policy criteria to be met for new residential development which draws on current policy and supplementary planning guidance set out in Planning Policy Statement 7: Quality Residential Environments and Creating Places.
• Future growth within villages needs to be proportionate to their current size and the level of services on offer.

Economics

• Economic Development Zones identified and defined at Granville and Cookstown (7 sites in total).
• Oaks Road, Dungannon identifies as a District Centre.
• Town centres defined for Coalisland and Maghera.
• Primary Retail Core identified for Maghera.
• Sequential test required for 100 sq m (net) plus town centre uses proposed outside of defined centres.
• Retail Impact Assessment required for 1,000 sq m plus proposed outside of defined centre.
• Developer contributions and Planning Gain will be given appropriate weight to proposals or developer contributions which include a planning agreement or which will provide infrastructure, community facilities and other benefits to offset the impact of development.

All representations to the draft Plan need to be submitted by 19 April 2019 and address the tests of soundness.

If you have any questions relating to the Mid Ulster draft Plan Strategy, please contact Angela Wiggam or Emma Walker.

6 March 2019