Fortnight Publications Ltd.

Planning AheadAuthor(s): Dale SingletonSource: Fortnight, No. 345 (Dec., 1995), p. 10Published by: Fortnight Publications Ltd.Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25558667 .

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Planning ahea

Dale Singleton

The House of Commons North ern Ireland Affairs Committee is to inquire into the current system of planning in Northern Ireland. The timing of the investigation comes as the centralized Depart

ment of the Environment Plan ning Service prepares for Agency status in April 1996. The back cloth of the ceasefires and the possible introduction of an As sembly will also have an effect on the Select Committee's delibera tions.

Planning powers were removed from local councils in Northern Ireland in 1973. The ill-fated power sharing Assembly of 1974 had direct control of the plan ning function. The Assembly, 1982-86, did not have Executive powers, but through a Commit tee system was able to scrutinize the direct rule administration.

In 1990 the House of Commons Environment Committee criti

cised some aspects of planning in Northern Ireland. It noted that there were more approvals of dwellings in the countryside in

Northern Ireland (2500-3000) than were permitted annually in

Great Britain. Notwithstanding Government assurances that it has put its 'rural house' in order, the recently constituted (1994),

Northern Ireland Select Commit tee has placed an investigation of

planning high on its agenda. When Northern Ireland local gov ernment representatives met the Prime Minister in 1994 the topic was top of their agenda. The focus of concerns centres on the 'demo cratic deficit', whereby planning decisions in the province are, in the main, taken by professionals rather than politicians.

The four Northern Ireland members of the thirteen member Select Committee all have local government backgrounds, and the issue of'democratic deficit' in the planning process is a major element of the inquiry. In the past twenty five years much has been achieved in turban regeneration

throughout Northern Ireland. This has been against the back ground of violence and a con certed bombing campaign which often targeted commercial targets in cities and towns. The ceasefires have resulted in much interest from major developers, especially retailers, focusing their attention on the north as an investment opportunity. Whilst such eco nomic development is welcome it is ironical that its possible loca tion 'out of town' may have uinde sirable consequences for the 'vitality' and 'viability' of town

centres which have withstood 25 years of threat from the bombers. Urban regeneration is likely to be a focus of consideration by the Committee.

Wide ranging written submis sions have already been received, and oral evidence will be taken from late November onwards. Squaring the circle of preserving 'people friendly' and 'sustainable'

built and natural environments whilst simultaneously stimulating economic development, all within a politically accountable planning system, is an intricate and per plexing task in the Northern Ire land context. The Committee will have much to ponder before pre senting its report to Government.

a

time Chris Moffat

Northern Ireland is booming. International retail giants are queuing to soak up excess dispos able income. But how do we get,

manage and spend our new house hold wealth? The Family Expendi ture Survey, which is carried out hy the government every year, suggests that N. Irelandl consum

ers are different from the rest of the UK in more ways than one. In the first place there are more households with children, 40% compared with the UK (33%).

More of them moreover - adtults and children included - live to gether as a single hotusehold: the average ntumber of persons per household is 2.76 compared with 2.42 in the UK. There are corre spondingly fewer one-person hotuseholds: 17% compared with 20% in the UK. Also, fewer N. Ireland houiseholds are owner occtupiers, 52% compared with 67% in the UK as a whole.

In the second place, purchas ing power in Northern Ireland houiseholds has been growing faster than the rest of the UK. In fact, average weekly houisehold expenditture in N. Ireland is soar ing ahead and has overtaken every other region of the UKexcept the English Sotuth East and East Mid lands. Ownership of cars, wash ing machines, fridges, telephones, central heating is more or less the same as UKlevels and mnicro-waves, compact disc players and videos - now thought of as the epitome of civilised living - are catching uip fast, no doubt in part due to all the extra households with chil dren.

Yet thirdly, and even more curi ously, N I householders, unlike anywhere else in the UK, spend

more than they earn. With an average weekly income of ?267.85 the Northern householders spend an average of ?280.38, whereas in the UK as a whole household spending is averaging ?286.91 otut of an average weekly income of ?302.91. This strange phenom enon could conceivably be be cause the large numbers in N I

with low incomes -the unem ployed, low paid, lone-parentfami lies, etc. on social benefits - are spending on tick. Buit it could just as easily be because of some uni

dentified informal economy. Whatever it is the Family Expen(di

ture Survey isn't complaining. It is obviously goodl for business.

Jalzmily 1ExpendXilure Szurvey|. Vaor/kern

Irelaln(I Monilor. PP//IJ

10 FO R T N I G H T DECEMBER 1995

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