Environment Minister Alex Attwood has convened an enforcement summit to tackle how best the protection of our built and natural environment can be enforced.

The aim of the Summit is to examine:

•what measures are currently deployed in dealing with enforcement

•what resources are needed to escalate enforcement

•what is the best enforcement architecture for the future in terms of legislation, policy and structures.

The Summit brings together the key players in Northern Ireland including senior DOE and other Government officials, representatives from the legal profession, the business community and environmental bodies.

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Mr Attwood said: "The flip side of good planning is strong enforcement. That is the purpose of the summit. If our built and natural environment, good beaches and clean water and the splendour of our heritage is at the heart of the quality of our lives and at the core of growth and jobs, enforcement must measure up.

"A slap on the wrist to polluters or the course of least resistance by any agency simply won't do. The enforcement summit is to capture and escalate what we have to do.

"I want to protect our environment by escalating enforcement. But I want to do this in a very focussed way, shaping the right architecture in terms of legislation, planning and the structures we put in place to support all of that.

"That is why this summit was very important today. As the first ever economic evaluation of our built heritage highlighted last week, our unique environment creates much wealth and jobs. The better we protect it, the cleaner the environmental engine which helps drive the economy.

"I have been very much energised by the calibre and depth of comment here today and I will use that energy to escalate enforcement in turn making Northern Ireland a better place, to live, work and invest."

(CD/GK)