Agenda item

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

·         Principle of housing in the location;

·         Housing density;

·         Affordable housing;

·         Housing mix;

·         Adaptable and accessible accommodation;

·         Residential quality and impact on amenity;

·         Open space;

·         Access and transport;

·         Design and placemaking;

·         Impact on heritage assets;

·         Climate change;

·         Health impacts;

·         Environmental protection;

·         Flood risk and drainage;

·         Waste-water infrastructure;

·         Waste management;

·         Natural heritage;

·         Employability and Skills;

·         Section 76 planning agreement; and

·         Pre-application Community Consultation.

            She reported that two third party objections had been received and that DFI Roads, DFC HED, DFI Rivers Agency, Environmental Health, Shared Environmental Services (SES), BCC Urban Design Team and NIEA Natural Environment Division and Regulation Unit had offered no objection to the proposal.  She added that Translink had submitted an objection due to potential impacts on the adjacent Laganside Bus Station as well as concerns regarding noise and that, since the publication of the report, it had requested that a final noise impact assessment be resolved during the application process and a meeting with officers.

            She stated that officers considered that the final noise impact assessment would be a routine matter dealt with by condition and that the request for a meeting arrived at a very late stage in the application process and that officers were content that the issues raised had been dealt with within the report.

            She reported that the applicant had indicated, since publication of the report, that they were willing to explore a Developer Contribution towards playpark facilities and that there was a Section 76 planning agreement which had been agreed to secure 80% social housing, a green travel fund and to ensure that the listed building was priorities in the overall programme of redevelopment to be completed within two years.

            She informed the Committee that the proposal would bring a vacant listed building back into use and was compliant with relevant housing and design policies, climate change, transport, flood risk, archaeology and natural heritage policies.

She 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. T. Stokes, TSA Planning, Mr. M. Martin, Applicant, and Mr. G. McCarney, Project Architect, to the meeting.

            Mr. Stokes stated that the applicant had shown a strong commitment to investment in the city.  He explained that Prince’s Court had been vacant since 1992 and had been added to the heritage at risk register in 2023.

            He stated that the main public façade of the site was the existing vacant six story office building, Marlborough House, which had been vacant since 2022.  He informed the Committee that the office building was no longer fit for purpose which had led to the opportunity to repurpose the building and increase the presence of city centre living.

            He stated that the relationship between the proposal and the existing Laganside Bus Centre had been carefully considered whereby the apartments had been designed so as not to prejudice the ongoing operations of the bus centre mindful of the potential aspirations of the bus centre to redevelop.

            He requested that the Committee approve the application.

            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 the conditions and Section 76 planning agreement, to include exploring the option of securing a Financial Developer Contribution for the funding of an equipped children’s play area, and to deal with any other issues that might arise, provided that they were not substantive.