Draft PfG needs the how and when

7 November 2024

On 5 September 2024, the Northern Ireland Executive agreed a draft Programme for Government 2024-2027 ‘Our Plan: Doing What Matters Most’. The NI Executive held in-person and online consultation events in relation to the draft Programme. The consultation period ran from 9 September – 4 November 2024. RSUA has formed a response to this consultation.

The response of the Royal Society of Ulster Architects to the Draft Programme for Government 2024-2027

The Royal Society of Ulster Architects (RSUA) is a charity dedicated to the promotion of architecture to enhance the lives of everyone living in Northern Ireland. We are also the professional body for architects in the region and have over 1,000 members. 

Commitment to work co-operatively

It is RSUA’s view that the most important element of the draft Programme for Government (PfG) is the commitment from the Executive Ministers that, “As colleagues, we will work in common cause, respectful of each other and in genuine co-operation.” If that is achieved there is true potential to make meaningful positive change to people’s lives.

Architecture has a role to play in the successful delivery of 8 of the 9 priorities set out in the draft PfG. RSUA is ready and eager to play its part in helping the Executive to deliver.

Ambition v Reality 

RSUA welcomes the determination to make politics work, we applaud the ambition in the draft PfG and the focus on doing things better. 

Does the draft PfG achieve its stated aim of being a plan for “an ambitious agenda for change”?

It is RSUA’s view that it currently does not. 

The ‘How’ and ‘When’

To build confidence across society that the goals of this PfG will be delivered, the final version needs to address the ‘how’ and ‘when’. 

Confidence in Government in Northern Ireland is low due to past dysfunction, many areas of decline and past failures to deliver on vague promises of change.

This PfG presents an opportunity to do things differently, to be specific and to set challenging but achievable timeframes.

Can the NI Executive be clearer about what is going to change and how and when that change will happen?

For example on Page 40 the draft PfG states:

“We will ensure that the planning system supports the delivery of the appropriate supply of housing, creating sustainable and inclusive spaces, and work with NI Water to help facilitate housing growth.

How will the NI Executive ensure this? What will be different from today? When will these changes occur?

It continues:

“We are seeking Treasury agreement for appropriate treatment of borrowing to enable the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) to increase investment in its homes, improve energy efficiency, and contribute to new supply.”

When will discussions with the Treasury conclude? What level of increased investment will be released and when will we see this new funding being put to good use?

The same problem exists throughout most of the draft PfG with the odd exception. 

Strategies 

RSUA welcomes the general commitment to publish the following strategies:

• Green Growth Strategy
• Circular Economy Strategy
• Housing Supply Strategy
• Investment Strategy
• Fuel Poverty Strategy
• Environment Strategy

There will need to be a high degree of co-ordination across these strategies. We would welcome clarity on how this co-ordination will be organised.

Cross-cutting high priorities missing 

It is RSUA’s view that there are a number of other cross cutting priorities that would most effectively and efficiently deliver the Executive’s core goals. These priorities which are absent from the draft PfG are:

• Putting in place the infrastructure to enable children to walk, cycle or wheel to school. (Particularly relevant to: health, infrastructure, education, communities, environment) Setting a target to increase the number of school children who have a safe active travel route to school would deliver direct financial, physical health and mental health benefits to pupils and their families. It would also help wider society by reducing emissions, reducing  traffic congestion, improving air quality and providing active travel infrastructure for use by all. By focusing on children there is an opportunity to change the culture toward active travel for the next generation of adults. 

• Committing to ensure a safe and high quality built environment. (Particularly relevant to: health, economy, communities, finance, infrastructure, environment) Setting a goal of renewing the grossly outdated Government policy on Architecture and the Built Environment would demonstrate a understanding of the importance of getting our built environment right in order to deliver on many other goals. At its extreme this is a life and death issue. More widely though, we need a well designed built environment to attract visitors and talent. 

• Addressing dereliction in our village, town and city centres. (Particularly relevant to: communities, infrastructure, economy, finance, environment) Agreeing to take radical steps to bring buildings back in to use, to disincentivise demolition, to punish neglect of buildings, to discourage vacant plots and surface car parks – these actions would boost the economy, support the high street, restore civic pride and reduce emissions. Over the PfG period the upward trend of office vacancies may continue to rise and this may exacerbate the current problems.

• Creating healthy, sustainable neighbourhoods. (Particularly relevant to: infrastructure, communities, health, environment, economy, finance) A wholistic view of neighbourhood enhancement includes low carbon community heating, community power generation and storage, prioritising active travel, increased greening and biodiversity and more thermally efficient housing. The community approach is an efficient way to deliver reduced emissions at scale and speed but most importantly focuses on reducing poverty and loneliness, improving mental and physical well being, and boosting the local economy. 

Wellbeing Dashboard

RSUA welcomes the wellbeing dashboard approach. However the current model looks very early in its development. The choice of statistics used for each area will be particularly important. 

Contact

RSUA wishes to support the NI Executive to deliver on its aspirations and we will continue to engage on the issues raised in our response and on other matters. 

RSUA can be contacted at:

Ciarán Fox
Director
Ciaran@rsua.org.uk
+4477 2500 9765