North Antrim Sinn Féin MLA Philip McGuigan urges the Infrastructure Minister Nicola Mallon to ‘immediately withdraw’ guidance recently issued to Councils regarding future countryside planning.
The MLA also asks the Minister to ‘meaningfully engage’ with local councils over the genuine concerns of rural communities on its potential impact.
Philip McGuigan said: “Recently, councils have received new guidance from the Department for Infrastructure regarding rural planning.
“Concerns have been raised that this new guidance could make it even more difficult for people to get planning permission to build in the countryside.
“Sinn Féin have called on Minister Mallon to withdraw the guidance issued by her department and to meaningfully engage with local councils over the very real concerns of people in rural communities.
“People right across North Antrim who want to live in their local communities in which they have grown up are already finding it very difficult to get planning approval for houses.
“The Planning system must be sustainable however this new guidance is causing real concerns, particularly for younger people and families, in rural communities.
“It is vital that the planning system works for our rural communities.”
