A recent roundtable in Belfast discussed how a Land Use Framework for Northern Ireland might be developed and implemented.

Reconciling the finite availability of land with the increasing demands on its use requires a multifunctional approach so that the same piece of land can deliver multiple benefits. A range of approaches is being taken to this issue in the different jurisdictions of the UK and Ireland there is much to be learned from each other’s experience.

There have been a number of calls in recent years for a Land Use Strategy for Northern Ireland, most recently from the Kendall review of the agri-food sector. While a ‘strategy’ can imply a top-down approach, a Land Use Framework starts with a set of principles for guiding rather than dictating decisions at all levels.

A Land Use Framework would have a key role in helping to deliver a number of outcomes distributed across a wide range of Government strategies and policies.

This briefing paper concludes with a recommendation to form a Land Use Framework Working Group to take the work forward - a neutral space for key stakeholders and experts to collaborate with senior civil servants from a number of Government departments.

Download the full briefing paper above.