Agenda and minutes

An apology for inability to attend was reported from Councillor Dorrian.

            No declarations of interest were recorded.

Purpose Buildt managed Student Accommodation (PBMSA)       The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       To provide an overview of the Council’s Housing Land Availability Summary Report for the 2017/18 monitoring period.

1.2       The report presents the outcomes of annual housing land monitoring and helps inform the preparation of the new Local Development Plan (LDP) for the District. It provides a snapshot of the amount of land available for new residential development as of 01 April 2018, and will be supported by an online map portal showing the status of all existing housing monitor sites. The map portal will also spatially reflect key information contained within the tables of the report.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       Note the outcomes of the annual Housing Monitor report for 2017/18 contained at Appendix 1 and the intention to publish this summary document and accompanying online map portal on the Council’s website.

3.0       Main report

3.1       Background

            Members are reminded that the Planning Act (NI) 2011 requires the Council to make an annual report to the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) outlining the extent to which the objectives set out in the LDP are being achieved. As the Council are currently preparing the first new LDP for Belfast under this new legislation, the production of Annual Monitoring Reports has not yet commenced.  Instead, annual Housing Land Availability Monitor reports (referred to as the ‘Housing Monitor’ reports) are being prepared by the Council until the new LDP is adopted.

3.2       Housing Land Availability Reports

            The primary purpose of the Housing Monitor is to inform the formulation of the Council’s new LDP. However, it will also help the Council identify where a shortfall in potential land supply might exist and can inform house-builders on the availability of land that may be suitable for housing.

3.3       The Housing Land Availability Summary Report contained at Appendix 1 presents the headline figures from a register of potential housing land maintained by the Council, based on current planning policy designations and planning permissions. This provides a snapshot of the amount of land available for new homes and capacity for future housing units as of 1st April 2018, as well as providing the net gains in housing units for the 2017/18 period.  This differs from the new dwelling completion statistics published routinely by central Government which only provide a total for new build homes, without accounting for units lost as a result of redevelopment.

3.4       This information is summarised within the report in relation to:

·      Each settlement within the District, including settlement areas in the case of Belfast City;

·      Whether land falls within the existing urban footprint (the continuous built-up area of the settlement) or is classified as greenfield land; and

·      The type of land use zoning (i.e. land zoned for housing or land zoned for mixed use development) or all other land.

3.5       During the 2017/18 monitoring year 659 units were completed on 19.4 ha of land across the District. 408.9 ha of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3a

            At the request of a Member, the Committee agreed that a report be submitted to a future meeting on the PBMSA throughout the city and the issues surrounding it being used for other purposes.

            The Committee was apprised of the principal aspects of the application, which included the relocation of parking spaces and amendments to internal boundary treatments. 

            The case officer highlighted to the Committee that the proposed internal changes to boundary treatments from walls to close boarded fencing was acceptable, in that the main views into, or within, the development would be unaffected.

            He pointed out that there would be no loss of car parking as a result of the changes and that DFI Roads had offered no objections to the relocation of the one car parking space from Springfield Avenue to Springfield Road.

            The case officer outlined that correspondence had been received after the agenda had been published, stating that the drawing numbers in the three conditions in the Committee report were incorrect.

            He provided the response of the Planning Department to the aforementioned issues raised, as set out in the Late Items Pack. 

            The Committee granted approval to the application, subject to the imposing of the conditions set out within the case officer’s report.

(Councillor Nicholl joined the meeting at this point.)

            The case officer provided the details of the application to the Committee.

            It was noted that the application, in accordance with the Scheme of Delegation, had been presented to the Committee since the Council was the landowner.

The case officer advised the Committee that a consultation response from the DAERA Land and Groundwater Team had been received after the agenda had been published.  He pointed out that, as per the Late Items pack, the Team had no objections, subject to conditions.

The Committee granted approval to the application, subject to the imposing of the conditions set out within the case officer’s report and delegated power to the Director of Planning and Building Control for the final wording of the conditions.

(Councillor McAteer joined the meeting at this point.)

            The case officer outlined the details of the application to the Committee, which included new kerbs, footpath resurfacing, new street lighting columns, safety bollards and speed reduction measures.

            The Committee was advised that DFI Roads had no objections, in principle, but required some technical amendments.  He explained that DFI Roads had been re-consulted with the amended plans and that the Planning Department was awaiting its final response.  The Members noted that the application had been advertised and neighbor-notified, and that no objections had been received.

            The Committee granted approval to the application, subject to the imposing of the conditions set out within the case officer’s report and delegated power to the Director of Planning and Building Control for the final wording of the conditions.

            The case officer outlined the application for a change of use from a single occupancy dwelling to a House of Multiple Occupation (HMO).

            She clarified to the Members that policy HMO 5 was applicable in this case, given that the area was outside a designated HM Development Node or Policy Area.  The Committee was advised that, as there were 41 domestic properties in this section of Templemore Avenue, two of which were recorded as HMOs, that the 10% threshold would not be exceeded and was therefore acceptable.

            The Committee granted approval to the application, subject to the imposing of the conditions set out within the case officer’s report.

            The case officer outlined the details of the application to the Committee.  She explained to the Committee that a previous approval had been granted at the site, for the erection of a block of 30 apartments with 2 ground floor retail units and 30 basement parking spaces, and another block for office use.  The Committee was advised that the previous consent formed a material consideration.

            She outlined, however, that objections to the renewal application had been received and that it was considered that the scale proposed was excessive and the Council had therefore invited amendments from the applicant in order to address concerns.

            The Committee noted that the revised scheme omitted the basement car park and the two ground floor retail units and included eight less apartments, meaning that the first block was reduced to four stories from six, and the office block reduced from five stories to four.

            The case officer advised the Committee that the revised scheme had been re-neighbour notified and re-advertised and no objections had been received.

            The Members noted that Transport NI, NI Water, Rivers Agency and Environmental Health had all been consulted and had offered no objections.

            The Committee granted approval to the application, subject to the imposing of the conditions set out within the case officer’s report and delegated power to the Director of Planning and Building Control for the final wording of the conditions.

The case officer provided the Committee with an overview of the application.  She explained that it included internal refurbishment works, ramped access to a new entrance door and a new window in the IT suite.

            It was noted that the application, in accordance with the Scheme of Delegation, had been presented to the Committee since the applicant was in receipt of Council funding.

            She explained to the Members that no objections had been received and that the proposal was considered acceptable.

            The Committee granted approval to the application, subject to the imposing of the conditions set out within the case officer’s report.

            The case officer presented the details of the application to the Committee as detailed within the report.

            It was noted that the application, in accordance with the Scheme of Delegation, had been presented to the Committee since the Council was applicant.

            The Committee granted approval to the application, subject to the imposing of the conditions set out within the case officer’s report.

            The Committee was apprised of the principal aspects of the application, which included environmental improvements to a 0.08 hectare space within the curtilage of the existing Lamh Dhearg Gaelic Grounds, set behind a palisadefence which bounded the grounds frontage with the Upper Springfield Road.

            It was noted that the application, in accordance with the Scheme of Delegation, had been presented to the Committee since the applicant was in receipt of Council funding.

            The Committee granted approval to the application, subject to the imposing of the conditions set out within the case officer’s report and delegated power to the Director of Planning and Building Control for the final wording of the conditions.