Warning on rural development

Many new houses have been built in the NI countryside

Increasing rural development will lead to significant future problems in Northern Ireland, surveyors have warned.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) said nearly 37,000 rural homes had been approved since 1990.

Clare McCarty of the RICS said such growth would lead to environmental, traffic, healthcare and social problems in the future.

The issue of rural housing is being discussed at a the society's annual conference in Newry, County Down.

Speakers at the conference entitled: Rural Housing: Encourage, Curtail or Condemn, include government representatives, academics and those from the private sector and rural community.

This situation cannot go on unchecked Clare McCarty RICS

Ms McCarty said surveyors needed to influence and help guide the debate on sustainable development in Northern Ireland's countryside.

"The issue of rural housing is currently a hot topic and RICS is keen to help shape the debate and inform the process", she said.

"Since 1990/91, nearly 37,000 single houses have been approved in Northern Ireland, equivalent to a sizable town, and in the last year, three times more permissions were granted for single rural dwellings here than in all of England, Scotland and Wales.

"RICS believes that this is producing a situation in the countryside that will lead to significant environmental, traffic, service, healthcare and social problems in the future. This cannot go on unchecked.

"There is a government policy statement on this issue currently out to consultation and it is important that when legislation is passed, the right balance is struck."

She said the conference was designed to encourage discussion which would have a positive impact on developments.