Written Answers to Questions - Northern Ireland Assembly

Friday 20 July 2012 Written Answers
As well as looking in detail at the causes of collisions, qualitative research is also used to inform our
campaigns. Ten focus groups carried out during February highlighted pedestrians’ and drivers’ lack
of consideration and regard for each other and that optimism and over-confidence result in an “it will
never happen to me” attitude. The focus groups also revealed that pedestrians and drivers make the
easy choice by denying their own errant behaviours and this is reinforced by a lack of interest and
awareness of the relevance of the Highway Code to their decisions and how they behave on the road.
These are the attitudes and behaviours which compromise pedestrians’ safety and which the new
campaign therefore seeks to address.
Further consideration is always required and welcome in helping improve our understanding of road
safety issues, including those affecting pedestrians, and shaping new initiative and policies. Action
Measure 133 of the Road Safety Strategy commits DOE to continue to monitor and, where appropriate,
carry out Northern Ireland specific research on pedestrian and cyclist behaviour with a view to
developing further effective interventions.
I can also assure you that the Department and its partners will introduce any appropriate
initiatives that arise from our research programme. Road safety partners have already considered
recommendations arising from completed projects into Deprivation and Child Pedestrian Casualties,
which found a clear trend of increasing rates for all child pedestrian casualties (aged 0-15) with
increasing area deprivation. This relationship is highly statistically significant and means that a child
living in a most deprived area is almost 5 times more likely to be injured in a collision than a child living
in a least deprived area.
As a result of this work, a number of additional measures have been incorporated into the Strategy.
The Department will seek to improve practical pedestrian training for children while the Department
for Regional Development will undertake a review of site conditions in the most deprived areas with
the highest collisions / casualties identified in the research. From DRD’s review, PSNI will consider
additional police patrols in these locations.
In addition to local research, the Department maintains strong working relationships with British and
Irish counterparts and works to strengthen appropriate links to access the best available research,
data and guidance to support our work to improve the safety of all our road users.
Planning Applications for Farm Dwellings
Mr Clarke asked the Minister of the Environment, pursuant to AQW 11071/11-15, for each of the last
two years, to detail how many planning applications for farm dwellings under PPS 21 have been refused
due to the proposed buildings not being (i) linked; or (ii) site clustered with established groups of
buildings on a farm, broken down by divisional planning office.
(AQW 13089/11-15)
Mr Attwood: The number of planning applications refused for ‘farm dwelling’ under PPS 21 in the last
two years broken down by area office is detailed in the Table below. A total of 10 applications for ‘farm
dwelling’ have been refused in the last two business years. Of these, four included refusal reasons
which related to the proposed buildings not being (i) linked or (ii) site clustered with an established
group of buildings on a farm.
Table showing Number of farm dwellings refused in the last two years under PPS 21 broken down by
area office.
Area Planning
Office
Number of
Applications
Refused
year 2010/2011 year 2011/2012
Refusal Reason:
Not visually
linked or site
clustered
WA 529
Number of
Applications
Refused
Refusal Reason:
Not visually
linked or site
clustered
South Antrim 2 1 1 1