Magherafelt Area Plan 2015: Draft Plan - The Planning Service

Introduction
INTRODUCTION
PLAN AREA
The Plan relates to the administrative area of Magherafelt
District Council, an area of approximately 573 sq. km with
a population in 2001 of 39,780. The main settlement is
Magherafelt. Further details relating to the population of the
settlements throughout the District are contained in Part 2 of
the Plan and the Population and Housing Technical Supplement.
PURPOSE OF THE PLAN
The purpose of the Plan is to inform the general public,
statutory authorities, developers and other interested bodies of
the policy framework and land use proposals that will be used
to guide development decisions within Magherafelt District over
the Plan period 2000 – 2015.
PLAN ALLOCATIONS, DESIGNATIONS, POLICIES, PROPOSALS
AND ZONINGS – THE PLAN PROPOSALS
The allocations, designations, policies, proposals and zonings
contained in the Plan, hereafter collectively also referred
to as the Plan Proposals, constitute considerations that the
Department will take into account in determining planning
applications within the District. The contents of the Plan must
be read as a whole as often several designations, policies and
proposals may be relevant to a particular development proposal.
The Plan Proposals contained in the Plan should not, however,
be read as the only tests of acceptability for development
proposals. In making its decisions, the Department will also
assess proposals against all planning policies and other material
considerations that are relevant to it. The contents of the
Plan must therefore be read in conjunction with the relevant
contents of regional policy publications and supplementary
planning guidance documents.
In order to ensure that there is no public misunderstanding of
the allocations, designations, policies, proposals and zonings,
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