Infrastructure:Update
Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010Two years into ISNI2, Northern Ireland’s residents are seeing the first fruits of its most extensive infrastructure programme, whether on the drive along the Westlink, waiting for treatment in the Downe Hospital or being taught in the redeveloped Grosvenor Grammar School, in east Belfast. While most projects in the three key areas we have selected have been completed or are on target, delays have also crept up e.g. at the Gransha mental health centre outside Derry or the Ballee Road East dual carriageway outside Ballymena. Fiscally, the Executive’s spending plans for 2010-2011 do...[full story]
Health:Primary care in practice
Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010Bright, airy and colourful, the £16.5 million health and care centre in Portadown opened its doors on 29 March. With positive patient feedback reported in a Portadown Times vox-pop and GPs commenting on their contentment at their new working conditions, the Southern Health and Social Care Trust is pleased with the building and its facilities. The Investment Strategy for Northern Ireland has described primary care centres as being “responsive to people’s needs; providing greater access to a wider range of services (some previously only available at hospitals) delivered close to...[full story]
North West:Bridge over troubled water
Wednesday, April 7th, 2010“An embrace in the centre of the river” is how the Peace Bridge has been described by its designers. agendaNi takes a look at the impact the structure is expected to have on the maiden city. With the potential it has to unite the Cityside and Waterside communities on either side of the River Foyle, the Peace Bridge will be an ‘S’ shape made from two identical curved suspension structures connected to opposing banks and overlapping in the middle. Ilex Urban Regeneration Company managed the project and construction on the £13.5 million project began in January. The contract awarded...[full story]
Corporate agenda:Spotlight on construction
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010How the sector is emerging from the recession. If there’s one thing Northern Ireland’s construction industry longs for as it enters a new decade it’s stability. The last few years have been a proverbial rollercoaster ride for the sector. First there was the unprecedented property boom, then the sudden crash, the financial crisis, and the tightening of the public purse strings. The inevitable rapid contraction has left the sector reeling, but it’s determined to emerge stronger when fortunes pick up. “We’ve certainly had a couple of turbulent years,” says Construction Employers...[full story]
Policy:Projecting population
Monday, March 8th, 2010Why does counting people up matter to governments? Peter Cheney looks at how Northern Ireland’s future population is estimated and some uses for the statistics. Since Babylonian times, countries have counted their people in regular censuses. Our next one is next year. As well as these snapshots in time, governments also find it useful to look ahead and predict whether and by how much their populations will grow or decline in future. Every two years, a population projection is brought out for Northern Ireland and the most recent, published in October 2009, covers the period 2008-2013. Two...[full story]
Transport:The route ahead
Tuesday, February 9th, 2010Draft plans to reform public transport are moving forward, centred around a proposal for a new agency and more competition for Translink. Bus and rail services in Northern Ireland are due to move in a new direction over the next two years. In the department’s own words, its stated aim is to provide “a customer focused, high quality integrated public transport system, which is sustainable, provides good value for money, enhances competitiveness, helps sustain economic growth, promotes regional development and contributes to equality and social inclusion.” A new public transport...[full story]
:Renewing town centres
Monday, December 21st, 2009agendaNi looks at what the Social Development Committee recommends for improving town centres across the province. As more and more shops are being fronted with wooden boards or shutters the Social Development Committee has recommended how towns across the province could be better served. The flagship recommendation points to a following in the Scotland’s footsteps in establishing a town centre regeneration fund. Chiefly it would be in place to counter any perceived geographical bias in allocating funding, which the committee says it was “concerned” to hear about in evidence submitted...[full story]
:Investing for you today
Monday, December 21st, 2009Strategic Investment Board advisor Martin Spollen updates agendaNi on the Investment Strategy’s progress so far. The Investment Strategy for Northern Ireland 2008-2018 (ISNI) is the largest programme of investment in our public infrastructure and reflect the urgent priority that the Executive places on tackling the legacy of under-investment inherited from past administrations. Modern infrastructure is essential to our future success – it supports the economy, helps to promote equality of opportunity for all and improves the public services we all depend on. As you read this, work...[full story]
