Kimmins announces new enforcement guidance to tackle unadopted private developments
Date published:
Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has announced the introduction of enhanced enforcement procedures to ensure roads infrastructure in new developments is adopted into the public road network.
Minister Kimmins said:
“Earlier this year I gave a commitment to the Assembly to provide updated guidance to staff in an effort to reduce the risk of new developments entering the Department’s backlog of unadopted private streets sites.
“Private Streets legislation and historical enforcement guidance do not impose a timeframe for enforcement action to commence, which has led to some new developments remaining unadopted.
“This practice is unsustainable and is having a detrimental impact on new homeowners who have bought their property in good faith believing that the surrounding infrastructure such as roads, footways and streetlighting would be completed to an adoptable standard within a certain timeframe.
“That is why I am now publishing revised guidance for staff which establishes a threshold for the initiation of enforcement action . This will help to balance the rights of homeowners with the economic pressures experienced by developers.
"The changes will take effect for new developments where bonds have been taken out from 1 January 2024. The backdating of this guidance will significantly reduce the risk of developments currently under construction entering the backlog.”
Officials will now engage with developers and sureties to inform them of the updated enforcement procedures to be adopted by DfI Roads.
Notes to editors:
- Enforcement forms part of the Private Streets function undertaken by DfI Roads. The enforcement process is subject to the regulations contained in the Private Streets (Northern Ireland) Order 1980 and the Private Streets (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 1992 (referred to as “The Order” or PSO).
- The revised guidance is available on the DFI website: https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/publications/road-bonds-agreements-and-bond-reductions
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