HC Deb 18 February 1997 vol 290 cc501-2W
Mr. Robert McCartney

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list those planning applications, by type, which have been granted for building on green belt sites in the Lisburn district council area since 1 January 1990 and the reasons for the permissions; and if he will make a statement about his policy on residential development in the Aghanahough townland. [15822]

Mr. Moss

Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Planning Service under its chief executive, Mr. T. W. Stewart. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from T. W. Stewart to Mr. Robert McCartney, dated 18 February 1997: Mr Moss has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the number of planning permissions granted on green belt sites in the Lisburn Borough Council area since 1990, and the Department's policy on residential development in the Aghanahough townland. A total of 750 planning permissions have been granted on green belt sites in the Lisburn Borough Council area since 1990. I hope you will appreciate that to, categorise these permissions by type and provide reasons for approval on each case, would involve a manual retrieval and scrutiny of each of the planning files involved and could only be carried out at disproportionate cost. If, however, there are any specific cases on which you require detailed reasons for approval, I would, of course, be happy to have these investigated. The townland of Aghanahough lies partly within the development limits of Lisburn, and partly within the green belt. As regards the Department's policy for residential development within the development limit, this is set out in the Lisburn Area Plan 1982–1997, adopted in 1985, and the Lisburn Area Plan Preliminary Proposals, published in March 1996. Detailed planning policies for housing development within the green belt, are set out in the area plans referred to, and also, in the

Sir John Wheeler

The proportions of permanent, non-industrial posts filled in the Northern Ireland civil service and in the general service in each of the last five years, for which a degree was required, and for which a degree was not required, are set out in the following table:

Department's publication "A Planning Strategy for Rural Northern Ireland" published in September 1993. A copy of each publication is available in the House of Commons Library. I do hope this is helpful.