PRESS RELEASE

COMMITTEE FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

15 October 2007

SD 05/07

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES FIRST INQUIRY

The Assembly Committee for Social Development today announced its intention to carry out an inquiry into town centre regeneration.

The Committee will examine the current approach to town centre regeneration in Northern Ireland.

Specifically the Committee will:

• Assess the scope and effectiveness of the programmes and policies adopted by the Department for Social Development to regenerate town centres.
• Identify areas where the application of regeneration funding has failed to address disadvantage and poverty.
• Consider the nature and effectiveness of engagement with local communities and other key stakeholders when developing and taking forward regeneration initiatives.
• Identify and consider relevant experience elsewhere in terms of effectiveness of policy interventions.
• Report to the Assembly by March 2008.

The Committee wishes to invite any individual or organisation with an interest in this matter to submit written evidence. This should be addressed to the Clerk of the Committee at the address below and should arrive by Thursday, 29 November 2007.

Individuals or organisations are requested to submit memoranda (guideline length up to 2000 words) in MS Word format by e-mail to committee.socialdevelopment@niassembly.gov.uk with a single additional hard copy in the post.

Written evidence submitted to the Committee should be kept confidential until published by the Committee.

Note to Editor:

The Chairperson of the Committee is Mr Gregory Campbell MP MLA.
The Deputy Chairperson is Mr David Hilditch MLA.

The Committee has a further nine members: Mr Mickey Brady MLA
Mr Thomas Burns MLA
Mr Fred Cobain MLA
Mr Jonathan Craig MLA
Ms Anna Lo MLA
Mr Alban Maginness MLA
Mr Fra McCann MLA
Mrs Claire McGill MLA
Miss Michelle McIlveen MLA

The Clerk to the Committee is - Marie Austin
Committee Office
Northern Ireland Assembly
Room 412
Parliament Buildings
Stormont
Belfast
BT4 3XX

Telephone - 028 9052 1864
Fax - 028 9052 1667
E Mail – committee.socialdevelopment@niassembly.gov.uk

Media enquiries to
Northern Ireland Assembly Information Office,
Room B2, Parliament Buildings,
Belfast BT4 3XX.

Telephone 028 9052 1137
Fax 028 90 52 1961.
Website Address – archive.niassembly.gov.uk
E-mail – info.office@ niassembly.gov.uk