Agenda and minutes

            No apologies for inability to attend were reported.

            Councillor McKeown advised that he had attended a meeting where individuals had raised concerns in respect of item 3a, LA04/2016/0559/F, but that, as he had not expressed an opinion on the application, he would take part in the discussion.

            It was noted that the Committee had undertaken site visits on 22nd and 28th October in respect of the following planning application:

·         LA04/2016/0559/F - Construction of 4 office blocks – Block A 10 storeys, Block B 14 Storeys, Block C and Block D 3 Storeys plus 4 retail units, plant and car parking with external plaza and associated landscaping on site at the junction of Stewart Street/ East Bridge Street and West of Central Station East Bridge Street; and

            It was further noted that the Committee had undertaken a site visit on 22nd October in respect of the following application:

·         LA04/2019/2387/F - Residential development comprising 151 apartments and ancillary uses including; management suite, communal space, reception area and servicing (refuse/recycling/bicycle storage) and plant equipment; and associated car parking and public realm improvements to Scrabo Street, Station Street and Middlepath Street on Land adjacent to Quay Gate House 15 Scrabo Street, footpaths and public realm at Scrabo Street, Station Street and Middlepath Street

            In response to a suggestion from the Planning Manager (Development Management), the Committee agreed to undertake a pre-emptive site visit to the following site:

·         LA04/2020/0804/F - Proposed major mixed use development comprising 653 residential dwellings (549 social housing units and 104 affordable housing units); 2 replacement residential care homes; mixed use area including local neighbourhood retail centre (1 convenience retail anchor unit and 3 retail/hot food/coffee shop units and hotel; Class B business uses within employment zone comprising a mix of 6 Class B1a offices; 1 Class B1b/B1c call centre and R&D office; and 11 Class B1b/B1c/B2 call centre and R&D offices/light industrial units.; community facilities including community building; MUGA pitch and play area. Development includes 2 vehicular site access points from Monagh By-Pass (1 signalised), associated internal road network, pedestrian and cycle ways, public open space, children's play area(s), landscaping, 2 no. waste water treatment works, and all other site and access works (amended scheme) at Lands West of Monagh By-Pass South of Upper Springfield Road & 30-34 Upper Springfield Road & West of Aitnamona Crescent & St Theresa’s Primary School. North and East of 2-22 Old Brewery Lane Glanaulin 137-143a Glen Road & Airfield Heights & St Mary’s CBG School Belfast.

            The Planning Manager reminded the Committee that the application was due to be considered by the Planning Committee at its meeting on 15th October but, in light of the fact that the membership of the Committee had changed since it first considered the application, the Committee agreed, at its meeting on 13th October, to defer consideration of the application in order to undertake a site visit, and further agreed that a Special meeting would be held to consider the application.

            A site visit for the Planning Committee had taken place on 22nd October, with a second site visit carried out on 28th October for those Members who were unable to attend. 

            The Committee was provided with an overview of the proposals. The Planning Manager explained that the application had originally been received in March 2016 and reported to the Planning Committee in September 2016, and that the Committee had resolved to grant planning permission, subject to conditions and a Section 76 Planning Agreement.  Subsequently, permission was issued in June 2017 but subject to a High Court challenge and the Court had quashed the Council’s decision in May 2018 on the grounds that the decision failed to have regard to the Belfast Urban Area Plan (BUAP) as the adopted plan and failed to take into account the recommendations of the Planning Appeals Commission following the independent examination into Draft Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan (dBMAP), which recommended that the site should be zoned for housing.

            He reported that the application did not include social housing and the Planning Authority should assess the application before it.  He advised that, as set out in the report to the 15th October Planning Committee, significant weight should be given to the most recent version of dBMAP (2014), which had identified the site as un-zoned white land, given its advanced stage and that the only area of contention was related to retail policy at Sprucefield and that, over previous years, it had been the consistent approach of both officers and the Planning Committee.

            The Committee was advised that the site was located within the City Centre of Belfast as defined within BUAP 2001 and both versions of draft BMAP 2015.  It was located on un-zoned land within the City Centre outside the primary retail core and within the city centre office area and that the Belfast City Centre Regeneration and Investment Strategy (CCRIS 2015) aimed to increase the employment population of the city centre.

            He explained that the site extended to approximately 0.8 hectares and was located adjacent to East Bridge Street, which sat at a higher level with access taken off Stewart Street which sat at a lower level.  The site was a vacant, hard standing plot of land which had previously been used as a temporary car park. 

            He further explained that the site was situated between very different urban forms of development, the high rise commercial development to the north, the elevated Lanyon Place Railway Station to the west and the domestic residential  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.