§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why health and education are not included in the Belfast Urban Area Plan, 2001, Preliminary Proposals; whether the Health and Social Service and Education and Library Boards have been consulted about the plan; and if not, whether they will he.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Northern Ireland Office (Lord Lyell)The subjects of health and education are included in the Belfast Urban Area Plan, 2001, Preliminary Proposals, at Page 28 of the published document dated May 1987. It should be pointed out that the plan is strategic in nature and there are no proposals for major health and education developments which require new large scale allocations of land. Strategic health plans envisage a concentration of development in the major hospitals, largely within existing land holdings. There will be a continued requirement for small scale residential and day care accommodation in the community for various client groups. The land needs for such requirements are small and the locating of such uses can he more effectively and speedily handled through the normal planning application process or, if necessary, through local plan procedures.
In the field of education, the decline in school rolls has, by and large, removed for the present the need 1574WA for new land allocations in the BUA Plan. Within the plan period up to 2001, land will be identified in local plans or studies for higher, secondary or primary education, as required, in response to the needs identified by the education authorities.
In the preparation of the plan, consultations were held with the education and health boards, and their land requirements and relevant planning implications were discussed.
§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What will be the form, scope and procedures of the public inquiry into the Belfast Urban Area Plan, 2001; and what weight will be given to social and community considerations.
§ Lord LyellThe form of the public inquiry will follow well defined procedures laid down and operated by the independent Planning Appeals Commission over the last 14 years. Provision will be made for a pre-inquiry meeting with interested parties to clarify the issues which will be the focus of debate and to enable a prior exchange of information to facilitate objectors. Normal inquiry procedures will be followed. However, the tradition of the Planning Appeals Commission has been to favour, where possible, an informality of proceedings so that community groups and individuals can feel free to take part, with or without legal representation. The commission itself comprises professional planners and appointed lay persons to ensure that the wider public interest is taken into account.
From past experience, the Planning Appeals Commission can be relied upon to give full weight to the social and community considerations which are relevant from a planning point of view and directly relate to land use and development matters.
§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
In view of the complexity of the Belfast Urban Area Plan Preliminary Proposals, what resources they and Belfast City Council will make available to voluntary bodies and genuine community groups wishing to comment on the plan, and in particular to Community Technical Aid and the General Consumer Council.
§ Lord LyellGovernment grant aid is provided to Community Technical Aid, which has assisted the participation of community groups in the Belfast Urban Area Plan process. The Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland is currently considering a number of requests by interested groups for financial and other aid to enable them to participate further in the plan process. The department has adopted an open attitude to all community groups and made widely available the papers of studies used in the plan preparation.