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Neighbourhood Improvement
To improve our neighbourhoods and wider environment. The link between health and the wider environment in which people live is well established. Many aspects of the environment, such as the air quality we breathe and the water we drink, can affect health both directly and indirectly. Also important to health are access to services and transport, fear of crime and the need for safe play areas for children. High levels of air pollution trigger increased admissions to hospital and contribute to the premature death of those who are seriously ill. People with respiratory diseases or heart conditions are at greater risk, especially if they are elderly. Air pollution is also likely to affect health over the longer term. Understanding of the long-term health effects of exposure to air pollution is currently rather limited, but experts suggest that cutting long term exposure could increase life expectancy. There are seven action areas in this objective: 1. Air Quality
The Programme for Government has as one of its actions “by May 2003, to have in place a policy and legislative framework to deliver our contribution to the targets in the UK Air Quality Strategy”. The standards used in setting the objectives are set purely on the basis of medical and scientific evidence of how each pollutant affects human health. 2. The Neighbourhood Environment
DSD’s new Urban Renewal Strategy will provide a framework for regenerating the most deprived neighbourhoods. DARD will administer the recently launched £80 million Rural Development Programme which will run to 2006 and which will be implemented in partnership with the Rural Development Council and the Rural Community Network. DARD in conjunction with the Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board have recently outlined the development of a Natural Resource Rural Tourism initiative which will target 5 disadvantaged rural areas and provide support to those wishing to take advantage of the opportunities presented by tourism in a peaceful society. The Community Safety Strategy will encourage statutory, voluntary and community organisations to work in partnership at a local level to develop strategies to address local concerns about crime and the fear of crime. 3. Regional Development
Regional Development Strategy 2025 (RDS) is a framework which defines a vision for the future development of the region over the next 525 years for the benefit of the whole community. 4. Transport
The Regional Transportation Strategy (RTS) being developed by DRD aims to move towards the goal of a modern, sustainable and safe transportation system that benefits society, the economy and the environment in the ten year period from 2002/3 – 2011/12. 5. Sustainable Development
The DOE is responsible for leading the Sustainable Development work here. 6. Planning
The DOE is responsible for planning control and has a statutory duty to formulate and co-ordinate policy for securing the orderly and consistent development of land and the planning of that development. 7. Water and Health
DOE will make regulations to reflect the requirements of the new EC Directive 98/93/EC on the quality of water intended for human consumption. These regulations will initially supplement, and eventually replace, the existing Water Quality Regulations (NI) 1994. Locations
- All Eastern Area
- Ards
- East Belfast
- Lisburn
- North Belfast
- North Down
- Regional
- South Belfast
- West Belfast
Organisations
Projects
Forum
Neighbourhood Improvement discussion COI Publications
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