Agenda and minutes

            Apologies for inability to attend were reported from Alderman McCoubrey and Councillor Hussey.

The following declaration of interest was reported:

(i)   Councillor Lavery declared an interest in respect of Item 10, numbers 6 and 7 on the Schedule of Applications.

            It was noted that no new requests had been received.

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 7th February, it had agreed to receive representatives from the Queen’s University Belfast in respect of the proposals which had been submitted to demolish two detached properties in the vicinity of Sans Souci Park/Lennoxvale and to replace them with three blocks which would accommodate approximately two hundred and forty undergraduate students.  Accordingly, the Chairman welcomed to the meeting Professor T. Gallagher and Mr. G. Jebb, together with Mr. P. Fleming and Ms. J. Harrison, in relation to the application.

            Professor Gallagher explained that, to date, the Queen’s University had invested £350m from its Capital Development Plan for 2002 until 2023 which had resulted in seven thousand jobs in the construction industry in respect of projects such as the Riddel Hall Business Campus; the Electronics, Communications and Information Technology and Science Park; the Upper Malone Sports Centre; the Cancer Research and Cell Biology building; and the McClay Library.  The Queen’s University’s planned investment over the next ten years would be in the region of £340m for projects such as purpose-built student accommodation; a centre for experimental medicine, a new School of Law; a new School of Biological Sciences; an International and Postgraduate Student Centre; a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Academy and a STEM Design and Innovation Centre.

            Professor Gallagher went on to outline the pre and post application consultation and engagement activities which had taken place with the Sans Souci residents, together with those adjacent to the Lennoxvale site, which had been ongoing since November, 2011.  Arising from the consultation exercises, a number of amendments, at a cost of £1m, had been made to the original proposals, including a revised design and a reduction in the scale and mass.

            Professor Gallagher and Mr. Jebb answered a number of questions put by the Members in relation to accommodation provision for international students; current and future undergraduate housing capacity; continued consultation and engagement with residents and elected representatives; consideration which had been given to the conservation of the Arts and Crafts Movement buildings in the area; how the proposal integrated with the wider Holylands Strategic Study and the Buchanan Report, which had considered problems associated with the Holylands area; and student and resident parking issues.

            The Chairman thanked Professor Gallagher and Mr. Jebb for their presentation and they then left the meeting.  

            Mrs. Wilkin informed the Committee that the application was still under consideration by the Planning Service and that, to date, no revised proposals had been received.  She undertook to keep the Committee appraised of future developments with regard to the application.

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

Notification from the Northern Ireland Housing Executive of:

·         the extinguishment of Public Rights of Way at Lenadoon Estate;

·         the confirmation of the extinguishment of Public Rights of Way at Fortwilliam Parade/Queen Victoria Gardens;

·         the confirmation of the extinguishment of Public Rights of Way at Caledon Court and Somerdale.

Notification from the Department for Social Development of the confirmation of the making of a Vesting Order at 279 Albertbridge Road.

Notification from the Roads Service of:

·         the removal of an accessible/blue badge parking bay at 13 Windsor Road; and

·            the proposed abandonment of Public Rights of Way at Frome Street.

            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 advised that correspondence had been received from the Area Planning Office in relation to the above-mentioned matter which had indicated that, having considered all the relevant factors which had been received, the Planning Service remained of the opinion that the application, in respect of the proposed change of use and sub-division from a vacant office unit to a taxi booking office, was acceptable and that a decision to approve would be issued within the near future.  A Member expressed disappointment that, despite the efforts made by the Council, the Planning Service remained of the same opinion.

             Noted.

The Committee was advised that correspondence had been received from the Department of the Environment’s, Strategic Planning Division seeking the Council’s views in respect of the proposed construction and operation of a combined heat and power generating station for the treatment of refuse derived fuel by gasification at 7 Airport Road.  It was reported that the Department of the Environment had applied Article 31 of the Planning (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 to the above-mentioned planning application, designating it as one of major importance, since it considered the development would, if permitted, be of significance to the whole or a substantial part of Northern Ireland and affect the whole of a neighbourhood.

The Committee was advised further that, before the application could be determined, the Department would either cause a public local inquiry to be held before the Planning Appeals Commission or issue the applicant a Notice of Opinion indicating how it considered the application should be decided.  Accordingly, the views of the Committee had been sought in relation to these proposals.

After discussion, the Committee noted the proposals and agreed that the applicant be invited to attend a future meeting to outline the plans in greater detail.

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 7th March, it had considered an application in relation to the above-mentioned proposal.  At that meeting, the Committee had received correspondence from the Campus Development Group, an organisation which had previously been received by it in relation to its concerns about the University of Ulster’s proposed development.  The Committee had 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 engagements activities.

            The Committee was informed that a response had been received from the Minister which had indicated that he was aware of the concerns of local people about ensuring that community benefits were delivered by the University moving into Belfast and that he had arranged to meet with the Campus Development Group to discuss its concerns in further detail.

            Noted.

The Committee was advised that notification had been received regarding the Irish Planning Institute’s annual conference entitled ‘Achieving Competitiveness and Promoting Innovation: the Future Role of Planning’, which would be held in the City Hall on Thursday, 25th and Friday, 26th April.  It was pointed out that the event would aim to facilitate discussion around the changing role of planning, particularly having regard to local government reform in the Republic of Ireland and planning reform in Northern Ireland.  It was reported that a limited number of free places had been allocated to the Committee.

The Committee authorised the attendance at the event of the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman (or their nominees), together with one Member from each of the remaining Political Parties.   

            The Committee was advised that notification had been received regarding the above-mentioned seminar which would be held in the Canal Court Hotel, Newry, on Thursday, 2nd May.  The seminar was being organised in association with the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government in the Republic of Ireland.  In view of the significant changes which would be made to the planning systems in both Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland, the seminar aimed to provide an opportunity for open debate and discussion on the important and common planning decisions which would be facing both jurisdictions.  Attendance at the seminar would be free of charge.

            The Committee authorised the attendance of any Member of the Committee who so wished to attend the seminar. 

            The Committee noted a list of new planning applications which had been received by the Planning Service from 26th March until 8th April.

            The Committee noted that a planning appeal in respect of the use of land for storage and maintenance of skips and vehicles in association with a skip hire business, including the erection of three buildings and service pit at lands adjacent to 1106 Crumlin Road, for which planning permission had been refused, had been withdrawn.

The Committee noted a list of decisions which had been issued by the Planning Service between 26th March and 10th April in respect of streamlined planning applications.

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

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

            The Committee considered 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 those referred to below: