This ISIS resource is the product of a four stage programme of information-building:
Stage 1 - The information needs of the NRA Partnership and other stakeholders with an interest in the development of Newry West were identified.
Stage 2 - The information which was held by various statutory bodies, private sector interests such as estate agents and within local communities was reviewed and matched against identified information needs.
Stage 3 - Access to this information was negotiated and the scope of its use confirmed in a series of Service Level Agreements.
Stage 4 - Individual data sets were located together in a centralised spatial information repository by Newry and Mourne Enterprise Agency supported by Newry and Mourne District Council. Requests for information from these data systems are handled by the Enterprise Agency's ISIS team. Separately a resource was created which combined these separate data sets into an investor prospectus focused on a number of properties and sites. This investor prospectus forms part of this website. Requests for more detailed information can be directed to the ISIS Programme Manager and his team by using the enquiry form provided on this site. The ISIS team is also available to service requests for information more generally in support of initiatives which will promote development in Newry West. In addition, ISIS provides an advocacy service for Community Associations who want to address site-related issues affecting quality of life or to optimise the use of land and buildings their areas.
The importance of information and reliable intelligence
The importance of up-to-date site intelligence in the urban renewal process is increasingly being recognised by those engaged in economic development. Leading economists at Cranfield University in a 2009 report identified reliable information systems as an important source of competitive and above normal financial returns. The urban regeneration programme currently being implemented by the Welsh Assembly across Wales describes quality site-related information as a "key requirement for public sector led development". It recommends that regeneration is guided by a Geographical Information System framework which "is able to integrate all the data required to make development decisions whilst communicating and presenting the information in an accessible, clear and consistent method". In Scotland Kmap is an information provision and development brokerage service which provides "enterprise development stakeholders with a range of spatial information products and services to inform their strategic planning objectives".
The quality timely information provided by ISIS using heretofore disparate and for all practical purposes unavailable resources is available to help the NR Partnership, investors and other stakeholders to identify development opportunities. ISIS can quickly direct investors who need a timely response to affordable but strategically well-placed locations in Newry West, making a significant contribution to the area’s economic renewal. It is also available to assist Community Associations to participate in directing the future development of their areas.
