Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan green light uncertainty 21 January 2014 Last updated at 12:20 Uncertainty remains about when Stormont ministers will sign off on a major development plan for greater Belfast. The Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan was given to ministers by the Department of Environment late last year. The plan, which identifies zones for retail, residential or commercial development, is due to come into full effect, on adoption, in 2015. The DoE had hoped it would be given the green light by other departments by the end of last year. However, the BBC understands that First Minister Peter Robinson regards the plan as a cross-cutting matter relevant to more than one department. DUP sources say that legal advice, obtained after the plan was previously raised by the former Environment Minister Alex Attwood, backs the argument that the final version must be approved by the executive as a whole. The DoE said it was unaware of any legal advice obtained by the DUP or the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister on the matter. Watertight SDLP sources say Mr Attwood's successor, Mark H Durkan, circulated the plan as a courtesy to his colleagues. The Department for Regional Development has already given the plan a certificate to confirm it conforms with its requirements. The DoE wants the plan to be put on the executive's agenda soon, and believes it is "watertight" in its current form. In a statement, a DoE spokesperson said: "The minister of the environment recognises the importance of this plan for the future development of the region and the need to ensure it is adopted and published in its final form as soon as possible." The plan covers not just Belfast but outlying areas such as Carrickfergus, Lisburn, Newtownabbey and North Down. It affects almost 40% of the Northern Ireland population. When Mr Attwood decided to limit further development at Sprucefield, near Lisburn, early last year - a move that led to John Lewis pulling out of its proposed development - he cited the retail strategy contained in the plan as one of the reasons for his decision. The future of the plan is expected to be discussed at Stormont later on Tuesday.