Public Involvement
Transport NI recognises the importance of public input in the development of major road schemes and holds public consultation events at key stages to inform and to facilitate community involvement in its decision making process. Key objectives of undertaking community and stakeholder involvement are:
-
to ensure communities and other stakeholders are provided with sufficient, timely information about the scheme.
to ensure that decision making is inclusive of diverse community ideas and opinions
-
to ensure that planning, development and delivery of the project meets the ‘balance of community’ needs and expectations.
to enhance transparency and public accountability.
to build constructive and collaborative working relationships with communities and other stakeholders.
These pages record the several public consultation events held during the development of the scheme.
Public Consultation
As announced by the Minister for Regional Development on 27th January 2015, the Proposed Scheme Report, including an Environmental Statement and an Engineering, Traffic and Economic Assessment Report, have now been published along with a Notice of Intention to Make a Vesting Order (NIMVO) and Notice of Intention to Make a Designation Order (NIMDO). These documents are available to view online via the "Project Documents" section using the link at the top of this page.
The Environmental Statement can be viewed and downloaded from this website, via the "Project Documents" section under the "Scheme Information" links to the right.
Bound paper copies of the Environmental Statement may be purchased at a cost of £185 (and are also available on DVD free of charge), by writing to the Strategic Roads Improvement Team, Transport NI – Eastern Division Headquarters, Hydebank, 4 Hospital Road, Belfast, BT8 8JL. The Non-Technical Summary is available free of charge from the same address and is also available for download on the Scheme Homepage.
The Formal Consultation Period
The formal consultation ran from 27th January until 10th March 2015
Next Steps
A Public Inquiry was held on 10th – 12th November 2015. The Inspector will consider all of the evidence presented, prepare a report and submit it to the Department during the first quarter of 2016. After receipt of the Inspector's report the Department will take a period to consider its content. A departmental Statement will be made detailing the Department's decision. The Department will copy the Departmental Statement containing it's decision to all the objectors. The Department does not make the Inspector's report available until the Departmental Statement is published.