§ Lord Lairdasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many times the publication of the Belfast metropolitan area plan draft has been postponed; and when it will be published. [HL4552]
§ Baroness AmosThe publication of the Belfast metropolitan area plan draft has been postponed on three occasions. When work began on the plan in January 2001, publication was programmed for December 2002. Publication was initially postponed until March 2003 to allow the research to be informed by the release of the 2001 Census data. Following further discussion with the six councils covered by the plan, it was agreed that publication should be delayed until September 2003 to allow them longer to consider and respond to the research which has been carried out. The third postponement was necessary to ensure that the Northern Ireland Housing Executive was given time to prepare a housing needs assessment to meet a new plan requirement introduced by draft Planning Policy Statement 12Housing In Settlements.
The draft plan is now programmed for publication in March 2004.