To ask the Minister for Communities to detail any steps his Department is taking to support increased residential accommodation in town centres, including in the East Londonderry constituency, as a means of improving footfall and sustaining local services in towns such as Coleraine.

A key objective of the Housing Supply Strategy is to create thriving, inclusive and sustainable communities by providing a range of housing options which are also located close to services such as employment, recreation, community services and access to public transport.

Delivery of the Strategy is intended to supplement the work of Local Councils and the Housing Executive’s place-shaping teams on the development of Local Development Plans. Through the plan-making process, councils are responsible for establishing necessary zonings and policies to meet specific local spatial growth needs, including opportunities for increased town-centre living.