Agenda item

            The Principal Planning Officer provided the Committee with an overview of the application and outlined the following key issues for consideration:

·        Principle of a school/nursery at this location;

·        Loss of employment land;

·        Provision of community infrastructure;

·        Design and placemaking;

·        Impact on amenity;

·        Climate change;

·        Open space;

·        Access and transport;

·        Environmental protection;

·        Natural Heritage;

·        Flood risk and drainage; and

·        Waste-water infrastructure.

            She explained that, in the planning balance, it was considered that the benefits of the proposal, in terms of providing a community and education use, outweighed conflict with the Development Plan, namely, the temporary loss of employment land.

            She stated that no objections had been received from statutory consultees and that the Council’s Environmental Health Service and DfI Roads had raised no objections.  She added that, two third party objections had been received and eleven letters of support.

            She reported that, having regard to the Development Plan and material considerations, and in the planning balance, it was recommended that planning permission was granted, subject to conditions.

            The Chairperson welcomed Ms. L. Ervine, the applicant, Mr. T. Bell and Mr. R. Dougan to the meeting.

            In response to questions from Members with regard to community consultation and concern with regard to the application, Ms. Ervine explained that 17,000 leaflets had been delivered in the east Belfast area and had received over 200 expressions of interest from parents in the area and 60 applications had been received to commence the school year in September, 2024.

            She added that she had attended a number of community events in the east Belfast area and had received a lot of positivity. 

            She stated that consultations had been undertaken with local church groups and Resolve NI, a community resolution organisation, which had spoken to community leaders in the Clonduff estate and Lisnasharragh PSNI, and no concerns had been raised with regard to the proposal.

            In response to a question from a Member with regard to no public consultation having been carried out by the Council with local residents, the Principal Planning Officer explained that neighbour notification was carried out, in line with statutory requirements, and the application was advertised, as required, in local newspapers. It was confirmed that as the application was not for Major development, there was no requirement for the applicant to carry out formal Pre-Application Community Consultation.

            The Chairperson put the officer recommendation to the Committee and upon audible dissent, called for a vote to be taken.

            On a recorded vote, 11 Members voted for the recommendation and five against and it was declared carried.

            Accordingly, the Committee granted temporary planning permission for a period of three years, subject to conditions and delegated authority to the Director of Planning and Building Control to finalise the wording of the conditions and to deal with any other issues that might arise, to include those raised in further consultation responses.