Agenda item

.The Principal Planning Officer presented the details of the application to the Committee.  He explained that it followed a brief Pre Application Discussion process.

            He outlined the key issues which officers had considered in assessing the application, including the principle of development and use; the principle of demolition; scale, massing and design; amenity and open space; access, movement, parking and transportation, including road safety; flood risk; other environmental matters; and developer contributions.

The Members were advised that the application related to a cleared brownfield site within the development limits and within the city centre of Belfast in BUAP, and both versions of Draft BMAP (2004 and 2014). The site was unzoned whiteland within BUAP, unzoned whiteland but also within the main office area/ Commercial District Character Area in dBMAP (2004); and unzoned whiteland but also within the Commercial District Character Area in dBMAP (2015). The site was also in the vicinity of the Linen Conservation Area.

He explained that the proposal had been assessed against and was considered to comply with the Strategic Planning Policy Statement for Northern Ireland (SPPS), Belfast Urban Area Plan 2001 (BUAP), Draft Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan 2015 (BMAP), PPS3, PPS6, PPS7, PPS8, PPS12, PPS13 and PPS15.

No objections had been raised by consultees, however, a response from the Council’s Waste Management Unit was outstanding. He confirmed that following advertisement in the local press and neighbour notification, no written representations were received.

The Principal Planning Officer drew the Members’ attention to the Late Items pack.  The agent had requested that the wording of condition no.11, relating to submission of details of materials, is changed from “prior to commencement of works on site” to read “prior to commencement of elevational work on site”.  He explained that there was pressure on the applicant to deliver the scheme by August 2023, in advance of the new academic year, and therefore a need for construction commencement in January 2022.  He outlined that the agent was seeking amended wording to allow works to commence on site before the condition was discharged.

            He explained that officers, having regard to the nature of the proposal which was essentially an amendment to a previously approved scheme, advised that the Council, as Planning Authority, had a very significant role to play in the delivery of new development and hence it had been considered appropriate to bring the application before the Planning Committee.

The Principal Planning Officer also advised the Committee that the report stated that public realm enhancements to the adjacent pavements would be required in line with the original approval in accordance with details to be agreed by the Council. The agent had confirmed that the applicant would be agreeable to such a condition, worded to require the public realm works details prior to occupation and worded to be in reference to the extant permission.

            He outlined to the Members that Environmental Health had raised concerns around the 5mm per second peak particle velocity (ppv) vibration limit in the submitted Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP), given a lack of evidence to support it.  They stated that a lower vibration limit of 3mm/sec ppv, quoted in an initial CEMP, was considered more appropriate as an absolute upper limit to those other commercial premises in the vicinity if unreasonable disturbance to the day to day working operation of those premises was to be avoided. Environmental Health had also referred to guidance in Relevant British Standard BS5228-2:2009 ‘Code of Practice for the Control of Noise and Vibration on Construction and open sites’, particularly that the contractor should ensure good engagement and communication with all commercial premises in the vicinity in advance of the works commencing and throughout the construction phase.  The Principal Planning Officer explained that, since the Late Items pack had been circulated, a further updated CEMP had been submitted by the applicant, which included a lower vibration level of 3mm per second, which was in line with Environmental Health’s response. 

The Committee granted approval to the Director of Planning and Building Control to grant conditional planning permission, subject to receipt of final comments from consultees, finalising the wording of conditions and the completion of a Section 76 planning agreement to secure a management plan in the interests of the amenities of the area.