The Department for Communities (DfC) has this week launched its Shaping Sustainable Places consultation, which proposes a long-term, cross-departmental regeneration programme for Northern Ireland’s villages, towns, and city centres.
Developed collaboratively with the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) and the Department for Infrastructure (DfI), the programme intends to respond to challenges such as increased vacancy rates, falling footfall, and long-term trends of decentralisation exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Objectives and approach
Set out is a proposed approach to regeneration that includes supporting community-led planning, encouraging placemaking to enhance public spaces, and targeting investment to address dereliction and enable adaptive reuse.
The plan aims to incorporate climate resilience through sustainable infrastructure and proposes coordinated delivery involving government departments, Local Councils, and other partners.
Funding
The programme proposes a minimum investment of £165 million over ten years, including £150 million from Executive departments and at least £15 million from Local Councils. This may be scaled through additional or non-Executive funding sources.
A combination of core allocations and competitive funding streams is intended to support innovation and target specific regeneration challenges.
The full consultation document can be accessed here.
The deadline for responses is 11:59am on Sunday, 24 August 2025.
RSUA is preparing a response to this consultation. To share your views, please contact Curtis Large, RSUA Policy and Public Affairs Officer, at curtis@rsua.org.uk
