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Chapter 1: Introduction and background to the study
Executive Summary
Key Findings and Recommendations
Chapter 2: Population Statistics: Belfast and Donegall Pass, 1971-2001
Chapter 3: Internal Migration and Community Dynamics
Chapter 4: Housing and the Environment
Chapter 5: Health and Wellbeing
Chapter 6: Children and Young People
Chapter 7: Education in Context
Chapter 8: Education and Training Issues in Donegall Pass
Chapter 9: The Role of Community in Regeneration
Appendix 1 Donegall Pass Profile
Appendix 2 Focus Group Topics/Questions
Appendix 3 Recruitment Form
CHAPTER ONE - BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Introduction
The Donegall Pass action-research project was located within a broader initiative known as CU2 (Contested Cities Urban Universities). CU2 was a partnership project with the Belfast Local Strategic Partnership (BLSP) and was funded by the European Programme Peace 2. The main themes of the CU2 initiative are as follows:
- to investigate the interface between regeneration and reconciliation in a contested city like Belfast;
- to investigate the structure and culture of collaboration within and among the three tiers of city governance;
- to build a University-Community Partnership in Belfast and assess its development and impact; and
- to investigate the most appropriate model and rationale for a systematic social economy in Belfast.
Each of the four themes contains various research components. These modular components were designed to develop and investigate the various elements and attributes relating to its specific core theme. There are various research methodologies, techniques and activities for the components within each core theme, developing a firm base of empirical data. And with the ethos of participatory action-research it will generate self-reflective enquiry and facilitate co-learning for the related research partners.
The spatial planning context
The British planning system is currently undergoing a process of change. At the heart of this change is a new and developing concept of planning known as spatial planning. Spatial planning has been variously defined as going ‘beyond land-use planning to bring together and integrate policies for the development and use of land with other policies and programmes which influence the nature of places and how they function’ (PPS 12), or as offering ‘an integrated approach to dealing with the future development of an area based on how spaces and places function and relate together, a common vision of the future and underpinned by a shared commitment for action.’
For the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) successful spatial planning is ‘integrated’. By this it means that planning should take account of a much wider set of issues such as inequalities in health, education, energy policy and so on. More than this, spatial planning should both ‘integrate and be an integral part of the full range of public, corporate and community strategies and initiatives’. In the Institute’s view, spatial planning should also be ‘linked to delivery mechanisms through the expenditure programmes of all relevant government and corporate agencies’. Interestingly too, spatial planning should bring together a wide range of professional skills and disciplines.’ (RTPI Vision).
This shift to spatial planning has now been given expression in new legislation and planning policy for England. The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 followed a Planning Green Paper (date) which identified the various problems that existed in the planning system. Key issues included: the time taken to prepare development plans; the lack of integration with other local plans and strategies; and the failure to engage effectively with local communities (ODPM). The primary legislative and policy response is captured in the requirement for each local authority to prepare a Local Development Framework (LDF) for its area. The framework is comprised of local development documents including the statutory development plan. Significantly the main policy guidance Planning Policy Statement 12 (PPS 12) notes that ‘the local development framework should be a key component in the delivery of the community strategy setting out its spatial aspects where appropriate and providing a long term spatial vision’ (para. 1.10).
The move to Community Strategies
Community planning in England was enacted through the Local Government Act 2000 which places a duty on local authorities to prepare community strategies. The responsibility for statutory guidelines, systems and community strategy procedure rests with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. The introduction of community planning was a vital component of a local authority reform programme initiated and driven by central government. One of the main aims of this reform, particularly in relation to community planning, is that local authorities actively involve and engage the community in local decisions ("Preparing Community Strategies - Government Guidance to Local Authorities, December 2000"). At local authority level therefore, the community strategy, in theory at least, should set the agenda for all other plans and programmes. Indeed Morphet refers to the community strategy as ‘the plan of plans’, and notes its potential role in the ‘consequent reduction of other plan requirements on local government’ (Morphet 2004). Importantly too, she notes that the emphasis is ‘on partnership and co-ordinated working’ in an attempt to establish ‘more integrated delivery programmes’ (ibid p15). It is also interesting to note that while the local authority is responsible for taking the lead role in preparing the community strategy, the process and ownership lies with the Local Strategic Partnership.
Relevance for Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland the modernising planning agenda (Department of the Environment Feb. 2003) has been much less ambitious. Arguably, the changes to date have done little more than tinker around the edges of the system in an attempt to gain greater administrative and procedural efficiencies. And while the Regional Development Strategy (RDS) may have signalled a shift to a broader understanding of planning at a regional level, there is little evidence that this modest adjustment in direction is being embraced in the local development plan processes.
The review of public administration (RPA) offers a significant opportunity to rethink planning at a local level. The new Local Authorities will have more power and responsibility and a wider remit to co-ordinate service delivery. A tailored version of the community strategy which embraces community partnership could provide ‘the glue’ for a more integrated form of planning at local level. The Donegall Pass research project offered an opportunity to demonstrate the value of taking an integrated and holistic approach to both research analysis and strategy formulation. Although the community area is significantly smaller than a local authority area, it probably represents a microcosm of many of the issues that face local communities and service providers, particularly in Belfast.
Why Donegall Pass?
Donegall Pass is a relatively small, well-defined geographical community situated close to the University campus. The current population of around 1080 is largely Protestant (78%). The Donegall Pass community is undergoing a process of significant change. This includes: a decline in the overall population; structural change in the local demography; an increase in inward migration; rising land/property prices; and commercial incursions. In addition, the community has experienced, and continues to experience both ethno-religious and intra-community rivalry and conflict. All of this is contributing to the community feeling a loss of control and a dilution of identity. Moreover, the changes occurring in Donegall Pass are part of a wider process of change evident across other traditional working class inner city Protestant communities in Belfast.
The data below, largely drawn from 2001 census, provides an outline of some key characteristics.
- Population 1076
- Households 609 (household size 1.78)
- 57% one person households (of which, 42% pensioners)
- 78% Protestant
- Average age 40.7 (Belfast 36.6, NI 35.8)
- Economically active 44.2% (Belfast 56.9%, NI 62.3%)
- Economically inactive 49.2% (Belfast 43.1%, NI 37.7%)
- Unemployed 6.1% (Belfast 5.4%, NI 4.1%)
- Place of work – 55.8% of working population work within 5km of home
- Travel to work – 41.8% walk or cycle to work
- Income support 34.3% (Belfast 16.9%, NI 10.8%)
- Housing benefit 41.2% (Belfast 15.2%, NI 9.7%)
- Health – 33.5% limiting long term illness (Belfast 24.2%, NI 20.4%)
- Health – 54% stated their health was good (Belfast 65.8%, NI 70%)
- Education – 55% (16+) no qualifications
- Incapacity benefit 25.3% (Belfast 12.8%, NI 10.7%)
- Owner Occupation 25%
- Housing Waiting List 55 (in Housing Stress 30)
- Car ownership 34% (Belfast 50%)
Research objectives
The research objectives relate to an overall project which will extend beyond the publication of this report.
- To identify the changing profile of the Donegall Pass community overtime. This includes: demographic change; socio-economic, cultural and lifestyle profiles; ethnic and ethno-religious changes; general land use and housing changes; territorial changes; and community values.
- To identify the main drivers of change, including: pull-push migration factors; economic restructuring; commercial pressures; and political changes.
- To assess the role and effectiveness of current responses to community problems. This would include an audit of the activities of government agencies and community organisations, and would also focus on the role that planning has played in the area.
- To explore new community planning initiatives elsewhere in the UK and Ireland and to assess their potential use as inspiration for a more appropriate form of local planning in Belfast and N. Ireland.
- To set in place a longitudinal study of change in the local community. This monitoring would use a number of key indicators, but would also attempt to measure the impact and effectiveness of ‘planned responses’.
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Photo 1: Postgraduate students discussing community issues with a Donegall Pass community worker.
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Research approach
The overall research methodology was premised on the notion of good social science research practice. In other words, all qualitative and quantitative survey work adhered to high standards of sampling and selection. This is also an action-research project, consequently the action agenda permeated all aspects of the research design and analysis. The following imperatives guided the research:
- It needed to be comprehensive. This included health and education patterns, the local labour market, social structure, property and land market dynamics, the dynamics of business change, socio-cultural trends including ethnic, inter and intra-community conflict, planning/urban design and environmental issues;
- It needed to measure change and particularly the dynamics of change. The research needed to be able to identify the key drivers or agents of change and their existing and potential future impact on the community;
- It needed to be cross cutting. In other words, the research of any particular issue needed to examine the links across to other issues, e.g., regeneration and reconciliation; health and environment; education and culture; land values and planning;
- It needed to address issues of governance. The research included a focused understanding of the role and activities of the key agencies of governance.
- It needed to have a significant experiential dimension. How local people feel about the changes affecting the Pass and their aspirations for the future should be a strong dimension of the research. This also included community perceptions of ‘the other’, where ‘the other’ could be communities or groups who in some way are regarded as a threat, and;
- It needed to be collaborative. The research was a collaborative or partnership project with Donegall Pass Community Forum.
Research activities
- Data collection from existing sources and subsequent analyses
- New survey work including land-use and traffic assessment
- Urban design/regeneration analysis
- Semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders including local politicians, community workers, church representatives, ethnic minority leaders and others.
- Focus groups with a selection of residents from different age groups and genders, and;
- Regular meetings with community workers
Focus group methodology
The research team in collaboration with local community workers, identified and set up eight focus groups: young males 14 -17; young females 13 – 17; young adult males 18 – 25; young adult females 18 -25; adult males 26-59; two mixed adult groups 26-59; and mixed gender adults 60+. Community sources such as the Youth Club, SureStart (a mother and baby group) and the South Belfast Somme Society (a local heritage group) provided lists of community members to facilitate recruitment. The objective here was to tap into the views of a cross section of the local community. The groups ranged in size from 4 to 8 participants and formal permission was given by each person to record and publish the research. In the case of the two groups of young people, permission from parents or guardians was agreed before seeking the consent of the participant. Quotations from participants referenced in the forthcoming chapters identify the particular group, and for mixed gender groups, the gender of the contributor.
In order to allow for comparative analysis and to ensure structured discussions, a common set of questions and probes was employed (see Appendix 2). However, the researchers also allowed discussions to diverge from the main agenda when participants showed a particular interest in an issue affecting the community. It is also important to note that the research team endeavoured to create a safe and comfortable environment for the discussions so that participants felt comfortable expressing their views.
Eight semi-structured interviews were undertaken with ‘key players’ in the community (2 representatives from political parties, 2 church leaders, a Chinese resident, an education officer and 2 community representatives). A common set of questions were addressed, although again, the researchers accommodated any relevant deviations.
Research outcomes
- An overall report of the research with recommendations relating to each area of interest;
- The basis for the development of a community regeneration strategy;
- An urban design and regeneration package, including site specific proposals;
- A data base that could be updated on a regular basis; and
- Feeding in outcomes of the research to wider policy forums.
References
Department of Regional Development (NI) (2001) Shaping Our Future - The Regional Development Strategy for Northern Ireland 2025. Belfast: DRD.
Department of Communities and Local Government (2008) Planning Policy Statement 12: Local Spatial Planning. London: HMSO.
Department of the Environment (NI) (2002) Modernising Planning Processes. Belfast: DoE.
Morphet, J. (UCL) (2004) Scoping Paper on Integrated Planning. London: RTPI.
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) (2000) Preparing Community Strategies - Government Guidance to Local Authorities. London: ODPM.
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) ( 2004) Planning Policy Statement 12: Local Development Frameworks. London: ODPM.
Royal Town Planning Institute (2001) A New Vision for Planning. Delivering Sustainable Communities, Settlements and Places. London: RTP
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