Agenda and minutes

            Apologies for inability to attend were reported from Councillors M. E. Campbell and McNamee.

            The minutes of the meetings of 7thand 21st February were taken as read and signed as correct.  It was reported that those minutes had been adopted by the Council at its meeting on 4th March, subject to the omission of those matters in respect of which the Council had delegated its powers to the Committee and to the omission of the minute under the heading “46 Sicily Park - Z/2011/0902/F” to note that the application had been referred back to the Committee; and to the amendment of the minute under the heading “2 Oceanic Avenue- Z/2012/1108/F” to provide that the decision be rejected and accordingly the Council agreed not to accept the opinion of the Divisional Planning Manager to approve the application.

            No declarations were reported.

            At the request of Councillor Hanna, and with the permission of the Council, the Committee requested that the Planning Service agree to reconsider the above-mentioned application, based on additional information which had been provided, and to inform the Members of its decision in due course.

            It was noted that no requests had been received.

            The Committee agreed that a special meeting be held on Monday, 24th June, to which all Members of the Council would be invited, in order to receive a presentation from representatives of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive in relation to its District Housing Plan. 

            The Committee was informed that the Northern Ireland Housing Council would be holding an event entitled ‘Facing an Uncertain Future’ in the Grosvenor House, Glengall Street, on Thursday 21st March, from 9.00 am until 1.30 pm.  It was indicated that the Conference fee would be £175 + VAT per person.

            Accordingly, it was recommended that the Chairman, the Deputy Chairman (or their nominees) and one Member from each of the other Political Parties be authorised to attend the Conference and that the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee be requested to approve the associated expenditure.

            The Committee adopted the recommendation.

            The Committee noted a list of new planning applications which had been received by the Planning Service from 12th until 25th February.

            The Committee noted a list of deferred items which were still under consideration by the Planning Office.

            The Committee noted a list of decisions on streamlined planning applications which had been issued by the Planning Service between 13th and 27th February.

(Mrs. S. Wylie, Director of Health and Environmental Services, was in attendance in connection with this item.)

            In advance of the Committee’s consideration of the Schedule of Planning Applications, the Director of Health and Environmental Services drew the Members’ attention to three items which had been included thereon in connection with the above-mentioned planning application. 

            She reminded the Committee that the University of Ulster’s proposed development at York Street had been highlighted in the Belfast Investment Programme as one of the key projects and that the Council had committed to work with the University and government departments to maximise the wider City regeneration and community benefits of that investment.  The Director informed the Members that the Development Committee had considered a pre-application presentation by the University of Ulster’s project team in March, 2012 and had welcomed the opportunities presented by the ambitious proposal in the context of the Investment Programme. 

            The Members of that Committee had encouraged the University to engage in an active partnership with the Council and others to address any concerns which had been raised, particularly by communities, in relation to community engagement, infrastructure, accommodation, transport, parking, anti-social behaviour and the associated requirements for shops, services and amenities. 

            Subsequently, the University had engaged proactively with the Council and government departments and a multi-agency group had been established to ensure that the wider regeneration benefits were realised and maximised. In addition, she reported that a benefits’ realisation framework had been developed and that this process would continue beyond the formal planning stages into the operational and delivery phases. That framework would ensure that there would be optimal delivery of the social, economic and environmental benefits of the scheme which would include also mitigating actions to address the issues of concern which had been expressed by Members in relation to community engagement and the impacts on local neighbourhoods.

            A Member drew the attention of the Committee to an email, which had been circulated earlier in the day, from the Campus Development Group, an organisation which had previously been received by the Committee in relation to its concerns about the University of Ulster’s proposed development.  After discussion, the Committee agreed to write to the Minister for the Environment and to the University of Ulster requesting that the concerns of that Group be taken into consideration in future deliberations and community engagement activities. 

            A further Member expressed concern at the manner in which the Minister for the Environment had announced his decision in connection with the University of Ulster’s Planning Application and it was agreed that a letter be issued to the Minister outlining the Committee’s concern that the normal procedures for dealing with such applications had not been followed in this instance.

            Accordingly, the Committee agreed to adopt the opinion of the Divisional Planning Manager in respect of the three applications; viz., Z/2012/0353/DCA – Playboard Building and York House, consent; Z/2012/0361/F – Metropole, Orpheus, Interpoint, York House, Playboard and Block 82 York Street/Frederick Street/Great Patrick Street, approval; and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 71.

            The Committee considered further the undernoted planning applications and adopted the recommendations of the Divisional Planning Manager thereon:

            The Committee considered the remaining items on the schedule of planning applications which had been submitted by the Divisional Planning Manager in respect of the Council area and agreed to adopt the recommendations contained therein with the exception of that referred to below:

            The Chairman advised the Members that this would be the last meeting of the Committee at which Mr. T. McCoey, Senior Professional and Technical Officer, would be in attendance before retiring from the Belfast Divisional Planning Office.  She thanked Mr. McCoey for the contribution which he had made to the work of the Committee.  A number of Members paid tribute to Mr. McCoey for the exemplary manner in which he had fulfilled his duties.

            Mr. McCoey thanked the Members for their kind remarks.