Building on Tradition – a sustainable design guide for the NICountryside: draft Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) to PPS 21.Public Consultation by Department of Environment (DOE).Response of the Landscape Institute Northern Ireland branch (LINI).

LINI requests that the first position of this reference guide should be to educatethose using it on the accurate meaning and importance of ‘Sustainablity’ and toactually question the purpose of additional building in the countryside which isultimately a finite resource.A Glossary of terms and definitions should be included followed by a userquestionnaire designed to encourage readers/developers to first consider theirneed / desire to build in the countryside, to understand and apply fundamentalprinciples of sustainable living.Questions should include:1 Will the occupier be able to earn a livelihood from the countryside itself?or2 Will the occupier need to travel / commute to earn a livelihood?3 How far will the occupier be from their place of work, from schools, fromshops, from services such as healthcare, recreation centres, religious centres etc.4 How often will journeys be made to each of the above and how wouldthey be reached. ie Private car, walking, cycling, bus etc.5 Has the occupier considered distance / response time of emergencyservices to potentially remote locations.6 Will the occupier use the land around the building for food production?7 Will the occupier use the land around the building for habitat creation?8 Will the occupier generate own power?These items should be set out in a manner which allows both proposed developerand planners to reach conclusion regarding sustainability and appropriateness.