BY MARK MCKELVEY

AS Omagh District Council prepares for its judicial review of the rural planning regulation PPS14, SDLP representatives raised the issue at a recent council meeting.

Proposing the motion Cllr Pat McDonnell called for the Minister to immediately address this issue and replace PPS14 with "a new sympathetic rural policy which will respect the expectations of rural people to obtain sites on land owned by their families".

There was a unified acceptance of this motion in principle. However, the only obstacle facing the councillors was, who was the new minister responsible for PPS14 to send this motion to?

The SDLP contingent felt that it should be sent to Department of Environment (DOE) Minister Arlene Foster whose remit involves planning control and protection of the countryside. However, Sinn Féin Cllr Barry McElduff stressed that perhaps the motion should be addressed to Conor Murphy, Minister for Regional Development (DRD) who is responsible for strategic planning.

Fellow Sinn Féin Cllr Frankie Donnelly threw two other departments into the mix, Department for Social Development (DSD) and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) who both would also be affected by any change to PPS14.

With this cross departmental issue and to not compromise the legal position of the councils judicial review it was decided to go ahead with a slight amendment to the original recipient, Ms Foster.

If that was confusing, the councillors in attendance certainly were not confused when it came to their feelings on the subject.

Cllr McDonnell said, "We have led the opposition to this ill thought-out, badly constructed policy. We need to be out of the stocks early in asking the minister for a sensible rural policy that is well consulted and able to be used by planners."

He did warn however if PPS14 was to "die totally, there will be an avalanche of planning applications" which he feels is not the solution.

SDLP colleague Cllr Jo Deehan who seconded the motion said, "Draft PPS14 threatens the rural way of life, with homesteads falling into despair. We are used to living in dispersed communities and this countryside tradition has to be recognised. I look forward to an early intervention by the Minister."

Omagh Town DUP Cllr Clive McFarland feels this is an "easy win situation" for whichever minister takes control over addressing PPS14. He said, "There is a broad agreement across the parties for a policy that delivers sustainable development in the countryside to provide a working, living, vibrant countryside.

UUP Cllr Bert Wilson said, "I know an architect that is getting ready to submit over 20 planning applications because he is confident that we will overturn this."

Sinn Féin Cllr Barry McElduff said, "PPS14 has the potential to cripple the rural community. Rural areas are for living in not just to look at."

He continued, "It is the DOE's responsibility to implement the decision made by DRD. I believe we should not just write to Conor Murphy but I also propose we seek an urgent meeting with him to put our views to him."