Agenda and minutes

Apologies for inability to attend were reported from the Chairman, Councillor L. Patterson and Aldermen R. Patterson and Smyth and Councillors M. E. Campbell and Hanna.

The minutes of the meetings of 29th October, 8th and 22nd November were taken as read and signed as correct.  It was reported that those minutes had been adopted by the Council at its meeting on 3rd December, subject to the omission of those matters in respect of which the Council had delegated its powers to the Committee.

No declarations were reported.

It was reported that correspondence had been received from various statutory bodies, agencies and other organisations in respect of the undernoted:

      Notification from the Roads Service of:

·         further information regarding the proposed Abandonment of Public Rights of Way - The Limestone Road Area, Belfast (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2013;

·         the proposed abandonment at Moltke Street/Nubia Street; and

·         the provision of a disabled parking bay at 78 North Parade.

      Notification from the Northern Ireland Housing Executive of:

·         the notice of the application for a Vesting Order at Cupar Street Lower; and

·         the proposed extinguishment of the public rights of way at  Fortwilliam Parade and Queen Victoria Gardens; and at Halliday’s Road, including the portion of roadway and footway adjacent to number two Lawther Court. 

      Copies of the correspondence in relation to the above-mentioned matters were made available at the meeting for the information of the Members.

      The Committee noted the information which had been provided.

The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 22nd November, it had noted a list of new planning applications which had been received by the Planning Service from 30th October until 12th November.  It was pointed out that, included within that list of applications, was a number of proposals in relation to Lennoxvale, Malone Lower.  It was reported that a number of residents of the Malone Road area had requested that they be received at a future meeting to provide Members with an outline of their concerns in relation to the proposals.

      The Committee agreed to receive the representatives from the residents of the Malone Road, at its meeting on 17th January, 2013.

The Council’s Strategic Advisor, Mr. N. Dunlop, reminded the Committee that, at its meeting on 29th November, it had agreed to defer consideration of the options in respect of the proposed streamlining changes as outlined within the Minister’s recent letter.  The additional types of application which had been proposed to be included within the current streamlined consultation scheme were:

·         all other minor and intermediate applications;

·         housing applications consisting of up to twenty-five units; and

·         office accommodation of up to a maximum of two hundred square metres.

      Mr. Dunlop further reminded the Committee that a query had been raised at that meeting as to how minor, intermediate and major applications had been defined.  He suggested that the Committee might wish to write to the Belfast Area Planning Manager requesting that clarification be provided on the definitions of minor, intermediate and major applications and that the Committee might wish to defer a decision on the inclusion of housing applications consisting of up to twenty-five units and office accommodation of up to a maximum of two hundred square metres, until that clarification was available.

      The Committee agreed to defer further consideration to enable clarification to be received as outlined.  The Committee noted also the information which had been provided in relation to potential future Member Development activities and that further information would be available in due course. 

The Committee noted the contents of a report setting out the scheduled monthly meetings for the Committee for 2013, details of which were available on the Modern.gov website.

The Committee noted a list of new planning applications received by the Planning Service from 13th November until 3rd December.

The Committee noted information which had been received regarding the dates for the holding of future appeals.

The Committee noted a list of streamlined planning applications’ decisions which had been issued by the Planning Service between 14th November and 5th December.

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

At the request of the Planning Service, the undernoted reconsidered item was withdrawn from the schedule:

At the request of the Planning Service, the undernoted items were withdrawn from the schedule of planning applications:

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