Minutes:
(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 Z/2012/1034/F – Land at existing Department for Regional Development surface car park at Frederick Street, refusal.
Furthermore, the Committee adopted the recommendation to encourage ongoing engagement between the Council and the University of Ulster and that a positive and meaningful partnership with statutory agencies and local community organisations would be sustained in order to deliver the maximum community and City benefits to be articulated and agreed in the forthcoming campus master plan.