A great place for learning and leisure

In the 29 years since local devolved power was removed from the Stormont parliament, Northern Ireland's environmental, housing…

In the 29 years since local devolved power was removed from the Stormont parliament, Northern Ireland's environmental, housing, cultural, health and education structures were largely governed by professional civil servants. Uninterrupted by British or local politicians, the civil servants have left a remarkable infractructural legacy that makes Northern Ireland - the politics and occasional violence aside - highly attractive in many ways for those seeking to relocate there.

The North's education system is well funded and its schools well equipped and staffed. The ratio of children at fee-paying schools is relatively low, largely because of the quality of the State-run sector.

The introduction of annual results tables for schools increased the competitiveness among the secondary grammars and several of the North's schools appear in the UK's top results list each year. All those at the top of the lists are non-fee paying.

The North still adheres to the post-primary selection system with pupils sitting an exam to determine whether they enter the "grammar" schools with their emphasis on sciences and culture or "secondary" system with an increased emphasis on practical subjects. This definition has been changing in recent years. The North's Minister for Education, Mr Martin McGuinness, has indicated he wishes to see the selection system ended.

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The North's health system benefits from the historical legacy of the post-second World War Labour government's "cradle to grave" free health and welfare system. Basically, all major medical treatment is free though there are some prescription and medicine costs.

The "welfare state" philosophy has suffered, particularly since the late 1970s when rationalisation began in earnest. However, the North's population enjoy high quality, free treatment. This has not stopped considerable moves towards private health care from the wealthy and those seeking to avoid the growing waiting lists for non-essential surgery.

An attractive aspect of the North's healthcare system for those intending to relocate northwards is the provision of free dental treatment for children to the age of 16, no matter what the treatment entails. Parents who have forked out thousands of pounds for their children's teeth in the Republic will appreciate the benefits this entails. Adult dental treatment is also heavily subsidised by Government.

Another singular attraction in the North is the way its natural amenities have been preserved and the provision of public leisure amenities at low costs. Under the re-organisation of local government that took place in the North in the early 1970s, local government lost its powers in housing, planning, roads and environment. The 26 local authorities, it was said at the time, were left with the work of burying the dead and emptying bins.

In fact, the local councils were also left with providing leisure facilities. During the 1980s councils vied with each other to provide the best leisure amenities in the North. As a result few areas of Northern Ireland are beyond a short drive to cheap public swimming pools and well equipped leisure centres.

The jewel in the crown of these public amenities is the Odyssey Centre in Belfast's Laganside. This has a mixture of public and privately funded amenities that includes the remarkable W5 children's science, learning and play centre spread over four floors of the riverfront. It also has a 30,000-seater arena which hosts shows and highly popular weekly games by Belfast's professional ice hockey team.

The removal of planning and environmental powers from local government also meant that the North's environmental heritage has escaped the ravages that have befallen parts of the Republic, where unchecked housing sprawl has affected some of the most important landscapes.

The North has large swathes of countryside designated as "areas of outstanding beauty" where planning and development has been tightly controlled.

Many areas of outstanding beauty in the North have changed little since the early 1970s, as the Department of Environment and Northern Ireland Housing Executive have encouraged - through grants - the refurbishment of existing housing in and around villages rather than allowing strip development to mar the countryside.