Shaping a Regional Vision: the Case of Northern Ireland by Malachy Mc Eldowney & Ken Sterrett
From: Local Economy, 2001, Vol 16, No.1. (Published by Pearson Education)
The Impact of the Consultation Process
In essence, the draft Regional Strategic Framework (Dec 1998) has two main components: A Spatial Development Strategy and a series of thirty Strategic Planning Guidelines (SPGs). The broad thrust of The Spatial Development Strategy sets out a framework for the physical development of the region including key transport corridors, a metropolitan core centred on Belfast, a north west regional centre bases on Derry/Londonderry, and a two tier settlement hierarchy of seven major service centers and twelve key service centers. The SPGs provide a range of broad policy statements relating to regional cohesion, spatial development, transport, economic development and the environment.
The evidence to date suggests that the key values and principles that emerged from the consultation process have been included in the strategy as `Guiding Principles'. These can be summarized as:
? A people and community focused approach
? A sustainable approach to development
? Achievement a more cohesive society in the region
? Achieving competitiveness
? Achieving an integrated approach
? The need to develop a shared vision
While the draft plan notes that the RSF was built on these principles and values, there was evident connection to specific policies and proposals. Indeed, this concern was articulated during a second stage consolidated consultation exercise, and was raised again at the Public Examination. The Public Examination Panel supported this view, recommending that the Department should consider tracing the Strategic Planning Guidelines back to the guiding principles and relate both together. (Public Examination Panel, 2000).
In overall terms, and in respect of the above, it is interesting to ask what sort of vision for the region does the strategy promote? At what might be called a rhetorical level it appears to promote `regional cohesion'. The proposed Spatial Development Strategy for example illustrates a structure of connections between east and west and north and south as well as between urban and rural areas. As noted above, this `cohesion' is further reinforced in the designation of seven large towns outside of Belfast and Derry/Londonderry, as major service centers. Significantly though, the major connections are largely road connections and the service centre status is not fully elaborated or explained. Of course a vision of regional cohesiveness is about more than physical infrastructure and the access it provides to services and economic opportunity. Nevertheless, access is a key component of an adequate response to socio-spatial inequality. Arguably therefore, the desire to achieve regional cohesiveness needs to be taken further in planning and investment terms. It requires commitment to the development of public transport alternatives and a more equitable spatial distribution of key public services such as health and education. Above all it requires commitment to a new cohesiveness in governmental response; one that overcomes the developing difficulty to separate Northern Ireland Ministers operating.
References
DoE (NI) (1998) Shaping our Future - Draft Regional Strategic Framework for Northern Ireland. The Stationery Office.
Public Examination Panel, (2000) Report of the Panel conducting the Public Examination into the draft Regional Strategic Framework for Northern Ireland DRD, Belfast.
|
