ICLRD Publishes Report on Impact of Proposed Government and Planning Reforms on Inter-Jurisdictional Planning

The International Centre for Local and Regional Development (ICLRD) is delighted to announce the publication of their latest study, All Change But Any Alignment? The Impact of the Proposed Governance and Planning Reforms Across the Island of Ireland on Inter-Jurisdictional Planning. Published at the end of June 2010, this report considers the implications of the proposed governance and spatial planning reforms in both jurisdictions on future collaboration. The report can be downloaded from here.

This report comes out of a 12-month research programme on the proposed reform of local government in Northern Ireland as part of the wider process of the Review of Public Administration (RPA), and the planning and governance reforms proposed for the Republic of Ireland under the Planning and Development Bill 2009 and the Green Paper on Local Government Reform. The research has been carried out by a multi-disciplinary team within ICLRD and has been funded under our CroSPlaN Initiative, an INTERREG IVA funded-project which is being administered by the SEUPB.

This report captures many of the features, opportunities and challenges associated with the reform of governance and planning systems. It notes that scope exists for greater engagement on spatial planning issues either side of the border; and that the extent to which this can happen is dependent on the nature and form of governance structures and systems in place. It traces the history of the proposed reforms in both jurisdictions from their point of origin to their current state of play. The report concludes that planning policy in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland must recognise, and indeed embrace, the movement of people, goods and services across the Irish border so as to ensure the vitality of the island’s economy and, in the current climate, drive forward an efficiency agency; and that change in both jurisdictions is necessary to make this happen more fluidly. Sounding a note of caution, however, it warns that the achievement of economies of scale should not be the only reason used to ‘sell’ any reform process.

2011 ICLRD ANNUAL CONFERENCE: Date for Your Diary

We are in the early stages of planning for our sixth ICLRD annual conference and have tentatively marked Thursday, 20th January and Friday, 21st January as the dates for this exciting and thought-provoking event. Please note these dates in your diaries; with the proposed theme being The Changing Business, Community and Spatial Planning Landscape: Doing More with Less.

The 2010 conference on Preparing for Economic Recovery: Planning Ireland, North and South, out of Recession was attended by over 130 people representing central, regional and local government, elected representatives, policy-makers, cross-border networks, community activists, academics and representatives of the business community. Copies of all presentations, together with audio files and the Conference Report are available in our Conferences and Events section of our website.

ICLRD Completes Executive Training Programme in the Wider NEWRY/DUNDALK Twin City Region

ICLRD has just completed its delivery of a Executive Training Programme for councillors and public/private sector representatives from County Louth, Newry and Mourne and Down District councils. Taking place over a series of five modules from November 2009 to May 2010, the programme attracted expert speakers from government, academia and the private sector, from both sides of the border. Keynote speakers and panellists over the five modules featured noted economist John Bradley; Mr. Tom Hanney, Southern Joint Secretary, North-South Ministerial Council; Prof. Greg Lloyd School of the Built Environment, University of Ulster; and Mr. Padraic White, Chairman of the Louth Economic Forum and former Managing Director of IDA-Ireland

Through highly informative and interactive presentations the programme paid particular attention to the themes of green / sustainable / renewable energies; tourism and recreation; and cross-border enterprise / trade strategies. The programme has raised awareness that the emerging corridor is creating stronger links between the Twin City Region and Drogheda to the south and Banbridge to the north. The training was offered as part of ICLRD’s CroSPlaN initiative funded under INTERREG IVA, administered by SEUPB.

Forthcoming Publication: NEW ALL-ISLAND JOURNAL

Keep an eye out in late Autumn for the inaugural edition of the The Journal of Spatial Planning on the Island of Ireland (working title); a new journal we will be publishing with the editorial assistance of Andy Pollak of the Centre for Cross Border Studies. The journal will contain a number of high quality research papers and articles on issues of spatial planning and regional development across the island, and internationally.

ICLRD Briefing Paper Series

ICLRD is publishing a series of short timely articles that explore how various forms of planning, enacted at different spatial scales, can contribute to better collaboration on the pressing issues facing both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

By considering both jurisdictions on the island and the potential synergies and efficiencies that can be realised through cooperation, we aim to provide a more rounded view than considering each jurisdiction in isolation.  We believe that good planning, following international best practice, can be a major part in the crafting of practical solutions to inter-jurisdictional and cross-border cooperation.

Articles available to date include:

Paper 1: Good Planning Key to Future Success–Prof. Rob Kitchin, NUI Maynooth & Prof. Alastair Adair, University of Ulster

Paper 2: Linking Spatial Planning with Public Investment: Perspectives from the island of Ireland–David Counsell, Planner & Prof. Greg Lloyd, University of Ulster

Paper 3:  The Conditions Necessary for Gateway Development & the Role of Smaller Gateways in Economic Development–Jim Walsh,  NUI Maynooth and Cormac Walsh, Urban Institute of Ireland at UCD

Paper 4: ESPON – A New Practical European Research Agenda for Territorial and Development — Cliff Hague, ESPON Contact Point UK and Brendan Bartley, ESPON Contact Point Republic of Ireland