RSUA meets Minister for Environment

02/12/2024

RSUA met today with the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), Andrew Muir, to discuss a range of issues affecting architecture in Northern Ireland. RSUA was represented by Ben James, Chair of the RSUA Climate Emergency Committee and Ciarán Fox, RSUA Director.

Dilapidation

In keeping with the RSUA’s response to the Executive’s draft Programme for Government, the Minister confirmed that legislation addressing dilapidated buildings is in the final stages of preparation, with plans for its introduction early in the new year.

During the meeting, the RSUA stressed the importance of a cross-departmental approach to tackling dilapidation and bringing buildings back into use through a mixture of incentives and penalties.

Growing local building materials

RSUA highlighted the call to action to DAERA in our Climate Paper from 2023 to increase native Irish tree coverage for future timber supply. We asked the Minister to establish a task group to develop a plan and to incorporate this into an updated Forest Strategy for NI. The Minister agreed to consider this and get an update on the Forestry Strategy.

Traditional Farm Buildings

The RSUA proposed the establishment of a small grant scheme aimed at supporting the re-use and repair of traditional farm buildings in Northern Ireland. This initiative would have a dual benefit: safeguarding historic structures while preserving wildlife habitats.

RSUA agreed to provide the Minister with the proposal which was recently agreed by the RSUA Conservation Committee.

Biodiversity

The RSUA’s Climate Action Paper 2023 recommends that all new planning approvals include a requirement for a certain percentage of green coverage, such as trees and green roofs. It also advocates for large-scale urban residential developments to include allotments, vegetable gardens, or terraces.

To these points, the Minister said he would write to the Infrastructure Minister, John O’Dowd, to inquire whether his Department has plans to introduce requirements aimed at enhancing biodiversity through development.

Demolition Waste

The RSUA Climate Action Paper also proposes to reduce demolition waste by incentivising the retention of existing buildings and designing new buildings with a view to longevity. RSUA discussed VAT rates, a presumption towards re-use in the planning system and explored the issue of building-to-last.