To ask the Minister for Infrastructure, pursuant to recommendation five of the Delivering a 21st Century High Street report, to detail any ongoing work to develop and implement an investment programme for blue-green infrastructure.

The new Transport Strategy along with a suite of Transport Plans, currently in preparation, will set a framework for making transport policy and investment decisions up until 2035. Active Travel and Placemaking will play a key role within these plans which aspire to better connect neighbouring communities to towns and city centres by facilitating healthy and sustainable travel choices and minimising the use of the private car.

The Living With Water in Belfast Plan includes proposals for investment in blue/green infrastructure including Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) and Natural Flood Management (NFM). My Department will also be consulting on a draft Living With Water in Derry Plan. These Plans are primarily to help address flood risk, drainage and environmental issues and their geographical scope extends beyond the urban centres to include residential and outlying areas. Going forward consideration will also be given to nature-based solutions for improved water management in urban and other road drainage.