North plan designates Belfast and Derry as two major growth centres

The spatial development plan for Northern Ireland, Shaping Our Future, produced by the Department of the Environment Northern Ireland in 1998, envisages two major growth centres at Belfast and Derry.

There will also be smaller growth centres at Newry, Craigavon, Ballymena, Coleraine, Ballycastle and Strabane.

The Confederation of British Industry, Northern Ireland and IBEC have identified cross-Border activity as an area where there is considerable scope for growth. This includes the development of the Dublin/ Belfast economic corridor, joint access to the ports of Larne and Rosslare, and cross-border energy, tourism and transport links. The development of "neutral" town centres to encourage cohesion of relationships between communities is also being promoted.

It is envisaged that Derry and Enniskillen would develop as centres for the hinterland which are "blind" to the Border. While the development of Belfast is limited by the mountains and the sea, its expansion must be subjected to criteria of sustainability.

Housing should be developed not on greenfield sites but on "brownfield" sites which represent urban regeneration. In environmental terms, the region is to concentrate on clean water, land and air which contribute to the potential of the area for tourism.