Agenda and minutes

            No apologies for inability to attend were reported.

            The minutes of the meeting of 16th September were taken as read and signed as correct.  It was reported that those minutes had been adopted by the Council at its meeting on 1st October, 2025, subject to the omission of those matters in respect of which the Council had delegated its powers to the Committee.

            Councillor Whyte declared an interest in item 10b – “LA04/2024/1576/F - Demolition of existing buildings at no. 733 and no. 735 Antrim Road to facilitate proposed residential social housing development comprising of 2no. buildings containing 34no. units with associated in-curtilage parking and landscaping (Amended description) - 733-735 Antrim Road” in so far as the Housing Association was a client of his and he left the meeting whilst this item was being considered.

            The Committee noted the site visits.

The Committee noted the site visit.

            The Committee noted the Notice of Provision of Parking Bays in relation to:

·        18 Jocelyn Avenue;

·        5 Knockland Park,;

·        20 Archdale Park; and

·        24 Oberon Street.

            The Committee noted the Notice of Removal of Parking Bays in relation to:

·     Opposite 49 Seymour Street;

·     22 Whitehall Gardens;

·     96 Rosebery Road;

·     17 Hillview Avenue;

·     39 Willowfield Parade;

·     180 Colinmill Road;

·     11 Titania Street; and

·     4 Sydenham Drive.

            The Committee noted the Notices of Abandonment.

The Committee noted the appeals decisions.

The Committee noted the planning decisions issued in September, 2025.

The Committee noted the list of live applications for major development.

The Committee noted the list of Committee decisions which had not yet been issued.

            The Director of Planning and Building Control outlined the proposed adjustments to the Scheme of Delegation.

            She advised the Committee that the proposed adjustments would be brought to the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee for consideration in advance of being submitted to the Department for Infrastructure for approval in accordance with Section 31 of the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011.

            The Committee noted the proposed minor changes to the Scheme of Delegation ahead of consideration by the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee.

            The Committee agreed to delegate to the Director of Planning and Building Control those Local planning applications to which NI Water had objected.

            The Senior Planning Officer provided the Committee with an overview of the application and highlighted the following key areas for consideration:

·        Principle of development;

·        Site layout, density and Design;

·        Open space provision;

·        Affordable housing;

·        Trees and landscaping;

·        Traffic, movement and parking;

·        Climate change;

·        Impact on amenity;

·        Contaminated land;

·        Drainage and flooding;

·        Natural heritage/impact on protected sites;

·        Section 76 planning agreement; and

·        Pre-application community consultation.

            He pointed out that the case officer’s report referred to an incorrect dwelling mix and should have stated that the proposal provided for 58 semi-detached, 16 detached and 20 apartments.  He added that the report omitted the total number of wheelchair units and that it should have stated that units 2 to 6 and 7 to 21 were proposed wheelchair units.

            He reported that, since publication of the report, the applicant had confirmed that the Northern Ireland Housing Executive had confirmed that it welcomed the provision of affordable housing but had no input into the housing mix.

            The Senior Planning stated that, through discussions with DfI Roads’ Active Travel Section, the dedicated and segregated cycle path had been removed, at the request of DfI, and that the main access road had been redesigned as a cycle priority road.

            He stated that it was recommended that the application be approved, subject to conditions and a Section 76 planning agreement.

            The Chairperson welcomed Mr. C. Bryson, Gravis Planning, to the meeting, who was attending on behalf of the applicant.

            Mr. Bryson stated that he welcomed the officers’ recommendation and that he was happy to answer questions from the Members.

            In response to a Member’s question regarding being able to provide assurances to local residents on the removal of trees and wildlife habitats within the protected zone, Mr. Bryson explained that a number of shrubs and saplings had been removed, however, no mature vegetation or trees had or would be removed and would be protected by condition, should the application be approved.

            The Committee granted planning permission, subject to conditions and a Section 76 planning agreement and delegated authority to the Director of Planning and Building Control to resolve final consultation responses, finalise the wording of conditions, and to deal with any other matters that might arise provided that they were not substantive.

(Councillor Whyte left the meeting whilst the following item was under consideration.)

            The Planning Manager summarised the application and drew the Committee’s attention to the following key issues for consideration:

·        Principle of housing in this location;

·        Housing density;

·        Affordable housing;

·        Housing mix;

·        Adaptable and accessible accommodation;

·        Design and Placemaking;

·        Impact on amenity;

·        Flood risk and drainage;

·        Waste-water infrastructure;

·        Climate change;

·        Access and transport;

·        Health impacts;

·        Environmental protection;

·        Natural heritage;

·        Trees and landscaping;

·        Waste management; and

·        Section 76 planning agreement.

            He explained that NI Water had provided an updated response which confirmed that the wastewater treatment plan does have capacity, however, the issue was downstream wastewater network capacity and that a possible solution could be reached through engagement with the developer in order to submit a Wastewater Impact Assessment to allow for stormwater offsetting.  He pointed out that draft condition 24 required details of foul and surface water drainage to be submitted and approved by the Council prior to commencement of development.

            The Planning Manager reported that no other consultees had offered objection to the proposed development and that 22 third-party objections had been received and all issues raised had been addressed within the case officer’s report.

            He stated that, having regard to the Development Plan and other material considerations, it was recommended that planning permission be granted, subject to conditions and a Section 76 planning agreement.

            The Chairperson welcomed Mr. R. O’Toole, OTS Planning, Mr. P. Turley, Project Architect, Mr. B. Owens, S4S Group and Ms. D. Quinn, Radius Housing, to the meeting.

            Mr. O’Toole explained that the proposal sought to deliver 34 social housing units in an area of acute need and that the scheme was supported by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.

            He stated that the Council had previously approved 34 apartments on the site and that the proposal had a similar layout to the previous approval.  He stated that the design had been informed by feedback from the Council’s planning officers and urban designer during the course of the application.

            He outlined how the proposal had taken consideration of density, open space, traffic, parking and tree protection.

            He concluded by stating that he believed that the proposal represented a well-considered and beneficial development for the area and asked the Committee to support the officers’ recommendation to approve the application.

            In response to a question from a Member with regard to NI Water’s response, Mr. B. Owens explained that the applicant was content to accept the condition and submit a Wastewater Impact Assessment.

            The Chairperson welcomed Mr. F. McElhatton to the meeting, a solicitor speaking in objection to the application.

            Mr. McElhatton stated that he was speaking as a resident and also on behalf of several individuals who had lodged objections to the application.  He explained that local residents had three core objections, density and impact on character, open space provision and a lack of protection afforded to trees.

            He stated that the segment of the Antrim Road where the application site was located was an area of low density which averaged at 19 dwellings per hectare and the proposal  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19.

            The Senior Planning Officer summarised the application to the Committee and explained that the application sought planning permission for the demolition of the existing mill buildings and the erection of 32 apartments within three blocks.

            He outlined the following key issues for consideration:

·        The principle of housing in the location;

·        Demolition of existing buildings;

·        Impact on the historic environment;

·        Affordable housing;

·        Housing density;

·        Housing mix;

·        Adaptable and accessible accommodation;

·        Design and placemaking;

·        Residential quality and impact on amenity;

·        Provision of open space;

·        Access and transport;

·        Climate change;

·        Health impacts;

·        Environmental protection;

·        Natural heritage;

·        Waste-water infrastructure;

·        Flood risk and drainage; and

·        Section 76 planning agreement.

            He pointed out that there was an error in the case officer’s report with regard to the unit sizes and explained that the proposal would provide seven one-bedroom apartments (22%) and 25 two-bedroom detached dwellings (78%).

            He stated that, having regard to the Development Plan and other material considerations, it was recommended that planning permission be granted, subject to conditions and a Section 79 planning agreement.

            A Member pointed out that it was disappointing that no social housing provider had been willing to partner with the proposed development.

Proposal

            Moved by Councillor Groogan,

            Seconded by Councillor Carson, and

      Resolved – “That the Committee writes to the Northern Ireland Federation of Housing Associations to invite them to attend a meeting of the Planning Committee to discuss the obstacles Housing Associations face with regard to partnering with housing developers in order to provide social housing.”

            The Committee granted planning permission, subject to conditions and a Section 76 planning agreement and delegated authority to the Director of Planning and Building Control to finalise the wording of conditions, and to deal with any other matters that might arise provided that they were not substantive.

            The Principal Planning Officer explained that planning permission had been granted in March 2022, to extend and subdivide the application building to form four Class B4 Units as part of a wider mixed use regeneration scheme and that the current application pertained to 41 Montgomery Road only.  She reported that the proposed extension was smaller that that which had been previously approved and that JP Corry intended to relocate from its current site in order to benefit from the larger premises.

            She referred the Committee to the following key issues to be considered in the assessment of the application:

·        Principle of development;

·        Design;

·        Impact on neighbouring amenity;

·        Climate change;

·        Contamination risk; and

·        Access and parking.

·         

            She reported that consultees had offered no objection to the proposal and that one third-party representation had been received with regard to amenity and noise.  She explained that the issues raised had been addressed in the case officer’s report.

            She stated that, having regard to the Development Plan and other material considerations, the proposal was considered acceptable and that it was recommended that planning permission be granted, subject to conditions.

            The Chairperson welcomed Ms. J. Mawhinney, MBA Planning, and Mr. G. Browne, Heron Brothers, to the meeting.

            Ms. Mawhinney explained that the application proposed to redevelop the site to an appropriate standard to host JP Corry.  She stated that JP Corry had a rich history in local industry which spanned over three centuries and was one of the leading building merchants which had been looking for an alternative site in the area and it had outgrown its current premises at Grove Street East.

            She stated that at application site was strategically located along an arterial route that would make it more accessible and that a larger premises would see JP Corry double its local workforce.

            She explained that the proposal would provide important redevelopment of a prominent whiteland site with brownfield status on a key transport route into Belfast and that the various supporting technical and environmental reports which had been submitted with the application had dealt with the acceptability of the proposal in terms of all other material considerations related to design, noise, traffic and contamination.

            She stated that statutory consultees had supported the proposal and she commended the recommendation to approve the application.

            In response to a question from a Member with regard to the proposed acoustic barrier and how it would mitigate any noise pollution, the Principal Planning Officer explained that the Noise Impact Assessment had been discussed with Environmental Health which had indicated that it was content that the appropriate mitigations would be provided in order to protect local residents.

            The Committee granted planning permission, subject to conditions, and delegated authority to the Director of Planning and Building Control to finalise the wording of conditions, and to deal with any other matters that might arise provided that they were not substantive.

The Principal Planning Officer summarised the application and highlighted the scale, massing and design, impact on neighbouring amenity and the impact on the Cregagh Park and Everton Drive Area of Townscape Character.

            She reported that no third-party representations had been received and that, having regard to the policy context, the proposal was considered to be acceptable and it was recommended that planning permission be granted.

The Committee granted planning permission, subject to conditions and delegated authority to the Director of Planning and Building Control to resolve final consultation responses, finalise the wording of conditions, and to deal with any other matters that might arise provided that they were not substantive.