There are now over 300 million active users on Twitter. In business terms that’s 300 million opportunities, 300 million potential clients. Ten years ago it was impossible to connect to such a vast global audience, now you can do it through a device held in one hand. The best bit? It’s free. On that basis, it’s easy to see why Twitter has become successful to the point where it can no longer be looked upon as a gimmick used if or when you have the chance – it must be taken seriously.

In an unprecedented step, a 2,800 square foot ‘downtown command centre’ was set up in advance of this year’s Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis, its purpose? To manage social media activity around the event. In a clear sign of the growing influence of Twitter, the command center averaged more than 3,500 retweets and 2,500 favourited Tweets per day. While this is an extreme example of how social media can be utilized at the very highest levels in relation to global events, it offers equal opportunities for small businesses also.

Generating a substantial following on Twitter is not easy, but the potential rewards are worth the effort. It’s no longer enough to simply be ‘present’ on Twitter, real benefits will only be enjoyed through a much more strategic management of your social media activity. The development and implementation of a strong and coherent Social Media Strategy is essential for any business. The success of a company’s Social Media Strategy will be determined by the quality of content contained within and how it is implemented – a poor strategy will inevitably mean poor results.

While an effective Social Media Strategy will achieve clarity around what you hope to gain from your social media presence, it is also a crucial to avoid undesirable outcomes. Just as Twitter can be used to connect to millions of users to portray positive messages about your business, it holds equal potential for a PR disaster. Years of effort in building your social media presence and online reputation can be undone by a single, ill-advised Tweet. Therefore it is vital that all businesses are equipped with the tools required to effectively build, and more importantly manage successful Twitter/social media accounts.

In the time it has taken you to read this article over 1000 new users will have joined Twitter, that’s another 1000 potential clients. So if you have found yourself lagging behind when it comes to social media, now is the time to make the investment and seek professional advice that will help your business effectively connect with millions of opportunities. The sooner you utilise the world of contacts sitting in the palm of your hand, the sooner you reap the rewards as a result.

As planning consultants we regularly check the schedule of planning decisions which DoE Planning send to the District Councils on a monthly basis. What is very noticeable about the decisions month after month is the shear volume of applications for farm dwellings and the large percentage of which are recommended for refusal. DoE Planning are often blamed for inconsistency from one planning office to another, but when it comes to making decisions on farm dwellings they are definitely consistent across all planning offices in their decision to refuse applications for farm dwellings month after month.Something is very wrong here; either DoE Planning have tightened up significantly on their policy for farm dwellings, or applicants are not submitting the right information, or worse still are getting the wrong advice.

Planning Policy
Rural planning policy has shifted somewhat in recent years from a fairly permissive policy on dwellings in general in the countryside outside of green belts up to 2006, to all but a total clamp down on rural house building when PPS 14 was published, to a now more balanced approach under PPS21 which is relatively sympathetic to proposals for houses in the countryside for those that need to live there such as farmers and their families. The policy isn’t perfect but by and large it provides increased opportunity for genuine rural dwellers to secure approval for a dwelling. Further to this, unlike previous rural planning policy, there is no agricultural occupancy condition attached to the approval; so what the farmer does with the dwelling once approved is up to them, provided they don’t want to apply for another one for a further 10 years. In theory therefore, it should be fairly straight forward to secure planning permission.

So what do you need to do to satisfy the policy and get permission? There are a number of key policy tests within PPS21 which need to be met,
- Firstly you need to have a farm that has been active for more than 6 years, ideally with a farm ID
- You must not have sold off any other dwellings or development opportunities on the farm in the previous 10 years (applicable from 25th November 2008)
- The new building must be sited so that it clusters with an established group of buildings on the farm

The main hurdle with the policy is that it requires applicants to propose a dwelling which clusters with a group of buildings on the farm – do this and you are reasonably assured of an approval. It should be noted that this does not necessarily have to be the main group of buildings, provided the proposal is sited to cluster with existing buildings somewhere within the holding.

Significantly, the policy makes an exception to the clustering requirement to allow an alternative site elsewhere on the farm if there are no opportunities adjacent to existing farm groupings. However, it must be proven that there are genuine health and safety reasons for this or there are plans to expand the farm such that a site for a dwelling wouldn’t be feasible. Health and safety grounds is often the easier of these to prove and it could include for example a dangerous access.

What the policy doesn’t say, but DoE Planning has released as separate guidance, is that in the rare scenario where there are no buildings on the farm to cluster with, it may still be possible to secure planning approval.

In reality, most farmers are reluctant to cluster beside the existing farm and would normally prefer to look for an alternative site elsewhere on the farm, so it is always worth fully exploring all your options before applying.

Are Applicants Getting it Wrong…………?
So, you have the requisite farm ID, you haven’t sold off any other dwellings and you can prove the need to site away from farm groupings, you will then need to find a site which is suitable (in planning terms) for a new building. This seems to be the main area where applicants are failing time and again. So, get good planning advice before choosing a site.

Planning Service will assess the suitability of a site based on the views of the site from main public view points, in particular, nearby roads. A building doesn’t have to be invisible when viewed from a public road, but it can’t be the most prominent feature in the landscape.

Buildings are best absorbed into the landscape through use of vegetation such as trees or hedges or landscape features. Hill top locations are not at all suitable, however, by moving the site further down the hill and using the hill as a backdrop, you instantly create a much better chance of approval because the building is now more “in” the landscape rather than “on” it.

It should be remembered of course to consider the views of the site from 360 degrees – moving the site for the dwelling away from a key view from one road may make it much more prominent from another road. Like anything in planning, it is about striking the balance. If it is not possible to site a dwelling on your land without it being too prominent from one or more main public view points, move on, don’t waste your time or money on such a site because if it is too prominent, you can be sure that the planners will not like it and you will get refused.

Linked with the prominence and integration issues is the need for the site to have well established boundaries. Planners favour sites that are naturally formed by trees or other vegetation or a landscape feature. Sites created out of a corner of a field will rarely be acceptable because you are likely to have only two boundaries and unless the other sides are formed by some landscape feature, the site is likely to be open making it difficult to successfully site a dwelling without it being prominent.

Many applications seem to be failing as a result of the proposed dwelling creating or adding to a ribbon of development. Ribbon development is where a suburban style row of 3 or more houses (or other buildings) has been developed over time along a rural road. Attempting to add another dwelling on to the end of this row will add to the ribbon and will be refused. By contrast the policy allows for buildings to be sited in a gap between 3 or more buildings along a road frontage. The main thing to look out for when choosing a suitable gap site is that its size ought to be comparable to the plot sizes either side of it.

While policy has improved significantly since PPS14, it should be noted that it is not a free for all again. Applicants will still have a number of hoops to jump through and while farmers are entitled to a farm dwelling, any old site won’t do. Also, the policy is written now to provide those with a genuine link to the countryside the opportunity to develop a house which will mainly benefit the agricultural community and the odd exception such as someone with a rural business who needs to live beside it or a personal circumstance case. Those seeking to move from the town to build a house in the countryside, need not apply.

Finally, look out for unscrupulous agents who would submit an application for you that will simply not work because the site would not tick any of the boxes as described above. A professional planner can guide you in choosing the right site and can take you through the application process – a relatively small amount spent up front obtaining sound planning advice before you think about applying for a new dwelling, could save you thousands later down the line.

Never before has the Stormont Assembly’s Legislative Programme for Government been so important.

With increasing influence through further devolution, and stabilisation in the form of what have now been four-and-a-half years as coalition government, decisions taken by the current Executive affect our lives more than ever before.

While, given the context, achieving a stable and functional government is of course commendable, the Executive now has the opportunity to demonstrate real progress through the Programme for Government, due to be published tomorrow.

Up to this point The Executive has come under considerable criticism due to the length of time this publication has taken to be issued. However the Executive now has the chance to produce a Programme which illustrates that the delay in its arrival is down to the extensive hard work and attention to detail that has gone into it.

In this time of austerity and cuts political leadership will play a key role in restoring morale and leading Northern Ireland back to economic prosperity. Therefore it is vital that we see tangible evidence of a Stormont Executive that is thinking ahead and that has a clear vision of where things are going. It is imperative that the Programme for Government is a document that reflects an Executive with specific goals to which it is fully committed to implementing.

Let’s hope that by this time tomorrow we have a Programme for Government that provides deliverable projects and targets – not vague aspirations. The private sector in particular will allow nothing less.

The question of whether the economic benefits of a proposed development should override any environmental considerations, or vice versa, plagues planning systems the world over.

This question has come to the fore in our local system over the past few years in relation to a number of high profile schemes and it is clear to see how party politics has coloured the priority over in this time.

Successive DUP Ministers Wilson and Poots, whilst in charge of the DoE portfolio, clearly set out their stall to encourage economic development. There was the Sammy Wilson ‘economic statement’ that was subsequently successfully legally challenged, the publication by Edwin Poots of dPPS23 and (the now defunct) dPPS24, both of which had economic benefits at the root of the policies.

It could be argued that the current Environment Minister, the SDLP’s Alex Attwood, has tried to redress the balance again. The focus on protecting the built heritage and the scrapping of dPPS24 could be seen as a shift towards a greater consideration for the environment in the planning process.

Nevertheless and regardless of the political hue of Ministers, the lack of clarity inevitably results in indecision and inaction by officials in relation to major and ‘controversial’ proposals. This is typified in the recent announcement in relation to the ‘Runkerry’ application. Minister Attwood has given his officials a further 10 weeks to make a recommendation; at the end of a 15 year determination process. Yet, the question has remained unchanged over that time… economic benefit Vs. environmental cost?

The latest development in the English system has tried to provide some clarity on the big question. The Draft National Planning Policy Framework condenses over 2,000 pages of planning policy into just 58 pages with the overall theme being a presumption in favour of development and decisions should seek to protect environmental and heritage assets in a manner appropriate to their significance. In other words, if the potential impact is minimal or quality of environment/feature is not significant, then permission should be granted.

A sound basis for making decisions? I think so.

by David Kerr, Director of Public Relations & Public Affairs.

With the elections over, key challenges lie ahead for our new Stormont Ministers and the business community needs results now more than ever.

Despite the reduced overall turnout in the recent Assembly and Council elections, the resolve of the majority of people in Northern Ireland remains solidly behind the peace process and power-sharing government. As this four year Assembly term is not likely to be interrupted by another election it has to be marked by tough decision making, positive leadership and delivery.

Sammy Wilson has been entrusted with the cheque book at DFP once again and has already proved more than competent and decisive in this role. With the headline budgets set for all the Departments for the next four years, he and his proposed successor Simon Hamilton will be determined to ensure all the Ministers balance their books.

The new Education Minister, John O’Dowd, has proven himself to be a very articulate and combative advocate for change in the education system. He will come under sustained pressure to deliver an agreed alternative to the ad hoc and cumbersome form of academic selection that has replaced the 11+. Resolving this issue has to be the litmus test of Sinn Fein’s tenure in this post as it affects so many families across Northern Ireland. One of the key strategic capital projects he will also seek to deliver, as proof of Sinn Fein’s commitment to transforming education provision, will be the £100m Lisanelly Shared Educational Campus project in Omagh.

Arlene Foster’s return to DETI will be welcomed by the business community and the renewable energy sector in particular. Renewable energy is a sector that should see real growth in this Assembly term and is likely to attract significant venture capital from outside Northern Ireland. This alone, however, will not be sufficient to provide the critical mass of employment opportunities needed to reverse rising unemployment (now at 59,200) and deliver real growth in the private sector. The game changer may well come with reduced corporation tax, but other stimulus measures are needed.

The selection of DRD by the Ulster Unionists presents a major headache to those championing the A5 project. The Party leadership is known to oppose the scheme along with other initiatives such as town centre car parking charges. Danny Kennedy is likely to re-evaluate the entire capital spend for roads across Northern Ireland. He may well seek to re-direct resources to projects he believes are of a higher priority. Whatever he decides to do, he needs to make decisions quickly and get the construction companies to work. As for water charges, I don’t envisage any bold announcements!

Michelle O’Neill takes over at DARD for Sinn Fein. A relatively new face in the front line of Sinn Fein at Stormont, she takes over a department that will continue to battle with Europe over CAP reform to defend the interests of farmers. The Agri-food industry is a huge part of the Northern Ireland economy and everything possible should be done to assist it.

The appointment of Alex Attwood to Environment has implications for a number of high profile planning applications, given the SDLP’s stated positions on them. The controversial waste incinerator proposed for Glenavy was headed for approval under Edwin Poots but is now likely to be reviewed and may very well be sent for public inquiry, if not refused altogether. Other major Article 31 applications such as John Lewis, Belfast City Airport’s runway extension, the Castlebawn retail development and the North-South Electricity interconnector are all headed for Public Inquiry. Huge amounts of investment are tied up in these applications alone. Decisions are needed and needed quickly.

Another major area for the SDLP to tackle at Environment rests around compliance with the EU Landfill Directive. Northern Ireland needs a comprehensive, distributed set of facilities to handle waste of all kinds. A major question needs answered as to whether we actually need to have three waste management organisations for Northern Ireland? Would one single organisation and plan that strategically locates the handling facilities for waste streams all over Northern Ireland not suffice?

The challenges facing Planning Service are also profound. Budget cuts and a fall in the number of applications received has put the Service under huge strain. Ian Maye has taken over as Chief Executive and is expected to drive forward reforms to put Planning Service on a sustainable financial footing where its application fees should in future fund the Service itself. He strikes me as a man on a mission and I do not doubt his resolve or ability to deliver on the objectives set.

Nelson McCausland’s appointment to DSD is a clear reward for his stewardship of DCAL and is also recognition of his knowledge of the Social Development brief. A major part of his brief will be around the provision of social housing but equally important is the protection and development of town centres across Northern Ireland. Town centre regeneration development briefs for Ballymena, Enniskillen, Portadown, Lurgan, Armagh and elsewhere need to be brought forward. The Westminster Government’s appointment of retail guru Mary Portas to draw up a strategy to regenerate town centres across GB is a good idea and its recommendations need to be studied closely by DSD.

The appointment of Caral ni Chuilin to DCAL is further proof, as if needed, that Sinn Fein’s leadership is determined to rotate and empower all its most talented MLAs into positions of power. The most high profile capital spend project in the DCAL brief has to be the upgrades for sports facilities for GAA, Rugby and Soccer. Views differ on the merits of this in a time of austerity, but the decisions have been taken. The sooner the plans are submitted and construction jobs are created the better. Sinn Fein will also no doubt champion the promotion of Irish language during their tenure here but many business people will judge their DCAL legacy on whether the sports facilities have actually been delivered in part or whole before the next election.

Edwin Poots’ appointment as Health Minister is not a surprise to those of us who had dealings with him at Environment. Peter Robinson knows Edwin is not a man who is afraid to take hard decisions and defend them. On its current spending trajectory and reduced budget allocation for the coming four years, it is estimated that the Health Service has a budget black hole of some £800million. The hard decisions will rest around whether to cut employees, capital projects or existing facilities.

Edwin has made an immediate decision to approve the Altnagelvin cancer centre but it will be one of the few easy decisions he can make. His key priority must be to find ways of delivering better services for less money. That doesn’t mean he has to dilute the ethos of the NHS but it means his Department needs to listen and learn from the private sector, engage with it and use it to deliver better services cheaper. All of this has to be done whilst balancing the provision of acute services across all of Northern Ireland not just for Greater Belfast.

The Alliance Party’s allocation of Employment and Learning has seen the promotion of their North Down standard bearer, Stephen Farry, to Minister. The key public challenge here rests with tuition fees. The Alliance Party have been brave and open in their language about facing up to financial realities around water charges and tuition fees. It remains to be seen if students and parents will share their readiness to accept the impacts of austerity.

David Ford’s re-appointment as Minister of Justice will see him hold the post for at least a year if not longer, due to the proposed review in Spring 2012. Aside from the obvious security issues, one of his biggest tests must lie in the reform of legal aid. The Law Society and the Bar Council are obviously concerned about this and other planned reforms. The new Policing College and Magilligan Prison are also important capital projects that the construction industry will want to see brought forward.

At the helm of the Stormont ship remain Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness in OFMDFM. They have proven all the doubters, who said they could not work together, wrong. However their toughest battles, against recession and cuts, still lie ahead.

The business community will continue to support devolution as the vehicle to deliver long-term growth and prosperity, but Northern Ireland needs strong and decisive leadership with results – now more than ever.

by Richard Bowman, Director of Planning, Strategic Planning

There is much talk in energy circles about the need to achieve a 40% renewable target by 2020. Many have commented – and I agree with them – that this is a tall order, given that we have only 9 years to go and at least 30% still to be achieved.  Read the rest of this entry »

by Chris Bryson, Associate, Strategic Planning.

In January 2011, Planning Service issued two draft policy documents (PPS23 and 24) to set out how economic issues are to be considered for certain planning proposals. Prior to the draft PPSs being issued, economic considerations were mentioned only in passing in PPS1 and rarely considered by decision-makers. Read the rest of this entry »