Category: Featured

Pragma is appointed to act on behalf of private interests in respect to the production of a masterplan for major mixed use redevelopment of lands south of Coleraine. It is anticipated that the sites will include a range of uses which are as yet undetermined due to the preliminary nature of the proposals.

The Business and Energy Secretary has announced a partnership between the government and the construction industry that includes a £420 million investment in what is termed ‘bytes and mortar smart construction’. The money is intended to go towards transforming construction through the use of digital building design, new manufacturing technologies and offsite manufacturing, all contributing to reducing the time taken to deliver new-builds by up to a claimed 50 per cent. The government claims that the UK-wide deal will boost the delivery of 1.5 million new homes by 2022 and that it will also support the Clean Growth Grand Challenge mission to halve the energy use of new-builds by 2030. It's unclear how much of the £420 million will be allocated to NI.

An article on Belfast City Council's website has indicated that Belfast City Council has agreed further work plans on the Belfast Region City Deal at its monthly meeting on Monday, 2nd July. City Deals are bespoke packages of funding for large projects to boost the economy and create better jobs, but that require funding from Westminster, the Department of Finance as well as Local Authorities.  The Belfast Region City Deal offers a once in a generation opportunity for the six local authority areas involved. Belfast City Council is working in close collaboration with the five local authority partners - Antrim and Newtownabbey, Ards and North Down, Lisburn and Castlereagh, Mid and East Antrim and Newry, Mourne and Down as well as the Northern Ireland Civil Service, Ministry for Housing, Communities…

Pragma director, David Worthington MRTPI, acted as Expert Witness in the recently successful judicial review of a decision of Belfast City Council to grant planning permission for a multi-storey office block.  The challenge was brought by one of the residents of a city centre residential area and sought to challenge the decision on a number of grounds including planning matters. Engaged by O'Muirigh Solicitors, Pragma provided a series of reports and other expert witness evidence in relation to the complex planning aspects of the case, specifically in relation to the development plan, its status and policy content.  Reports also included evidence in respect to the handling of the case by the Council and the weight attributed to certain planning matters.