Citation and Commencement

1. This Order may be cited as the Local Government (Constituting a Joint Committee) Order (Northern Ireland) 2009 and shall come into operation on 14th February 2009.

Interpretation

2.–(1) In this Order–

"Axis 3" means matters dealt with in Articles 52 to 60 of Council Regulation (EC) No. 1698/2005 of 20 September 2005(3) which are provided for in the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme 2007-2013(4) submitted by the United Kingdom to the European Commission in accordance with Article 18 of that Council Regulation, as approved by Commission Decision C(2007)4411 of 27 September 2007(5);

"Axis 4" means matters dealt with in Article 61 to 65 of Council Regulation (EC) No. 1698/2005 of 20 September 2005 which are provided for in the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme 2007-2013;

"local action group" means a group appointed by a rural development joint council committee to implement a local development strategy in its area in accordance with Axes 3 and 4 of the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme 2007-2013;

"rural development" means the delivery of Axes 3 and 4 of the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme 2007-2013;

"rural development joint council committee" means a committee established by Article 3.

(2) In relation to each rural development joint council committee, a reference to its area shall be construed as a reference to the area comprising districts of the councils which comprise the committee.

The rural development joint council committees

3.–(1) The following rural development joint council committees are established:

(a) North West Joint Committee, comprising–

(i) Derry City Council;

(ii) Limavady Borough Council;

(iii) Omagh District Council; and

(iv) Strabane District Council.

(b) Down Rural Area Partnership Joint Committee, comprising–

(i) Ards Borough Council;

(ii) Banbridge District Council;

(iii) Down District Council; and

(iv) North Down Borough Council.

(c) Generating Rural Opportunities Within (GROW) South Antrim Joint Committee, comprising–

(i) Antrim Borough Council;

(ii) Carrickfergus Borough Council; and

(iii) Newtownabbey Borough Council.

(d) Craigavon, Armagh, and Newry & Mourne Council Cluster Joint Committee, comprising–

(i) Armagh City and District Council;

(ii) Craigavon Borough Council; and

(iii) Newry and Mourne District Council.

(e) Lagan Rural Partnership Joint Committee, comprising–

(i) Belfast City Council;

(ii) Castlereagh Borough Council; and

(iii) Lisburn City Council.

(f) North East Joint Committee, comprising–

(i) Ballymena Borough Council;

(ii) Ballymoney Borough Council;

(iii) Coleraine Borough Council;

(iv) Larne Borough Council; and

(v) Moyle District Council.

(g) Cookstown, Dungannon, Fermanagh and Magherafelt District Councils Joint Committee, comprising–

(i) Cookstown District Council;

(ii) Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council;

(iii) Fermanagh District Council; and

(iv) Magherafelt District Council.

(2) A rural development joint council committee shall be a body corporate.

Functions of a rural development joint council committee

4. Each rural development joint council committee shall–

(a) appoint a local action group in its area to establish and implement a rural development strategy and make proposals in relation to financial assistance towards projects in accordance with Axes 3 and 4 of the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme 2007-2013;

(b) oversee, monitor and advise the local action group appointed in its area;

(c) approve the local action group´s proposals in relation to financial assistance towards projects;

(d) enter into an agreement with the local action group for the purpose of its functions under this Article; and

(e) act in accordance with the Rural Development (Financial Assistance) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008(6).

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order, which comes into operation on 14th February 2009, provides for the establishment of seven rural development joint council committees to deliver Axes 3 and 4 of the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme 2007-2013. In each case, the name and composition of the joint committee are established.

The Order also outlines the functions that these rural development joint council committees will perform on behalf of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (Article 4), including the appointment of local action groups to deliver rural development strategies, the oversight, monitoring and guidance of such groups, and the approval of their proposals in relation to financial assistance towards projects in accordance with Axes 3 and 4 of the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme 2007-2013. Article 4 further specifies the governance arrangements and further provides that the rural development joint council committees must act in accordance with the Rural Development (Financial Assistance) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008, under which the grants are to be awarded.

Copies of the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 are available from:–

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development

Rural Development Division

Room 141

Dundonald House

Upper Newtownards Road

Belfast BT4 3SB