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South Down MLA Andrew McMurray has stressed to the NI Assembly the importance of removing barriers to green growth last week. A motion, tabled by Mr McMurray together with other members of the Alliance Party, called on the Minister for Infrastructure and the Minister for the Economy to work together to deliver fundamental reform of the planning system in order to deliver green growth and maximise renewable energy. Mr McMurray said:
“South Down does not currently have the infrastructure by which to take on additional renewable energy sources. If the go button were to be pushed on developing renewable energy within South Down it would be 4-5 years between the process starting and getting renewable sources of energy production up and running.
“However, we also need to be cognisant of the constraints by which the Planning Departments are operating under. One instance of this is that they cannot take into account the climate crisis when processing an application. Consideration should be given to prioritising the passage of planning applications that help increase our renewable energy capacity – not to approve them at all cost where valid environmental reasons tell us otherwise, but to give them a fair chance of making it through the system within a reasonable timeframe.
“We need fundamental reform to create a planning system that delivers for all 3 pillars of sustainable development – the environment, society and the economy.”
