Agenda item

LA04/2019/2285/F - 12 storey building to provide an extension to the purpose built management student accommodation development currently under construction at 123 York Street (Ref: Z/2015/0177/F) comprising 94 x student accommodation rooms with communal living rooms/kitchens, associated office space and all other site works on lands at the corner of Little York Street and Little Patrick Street adjacent to 123 York Street 14 Little Patrick Street and opposite 23-33 Little York Street

Minutes:

            The Committee was advised that the site was located within the development limit for Belfast and the City Centre boundary under the Draft BMAP 2015. The site was also located within Character Area CC 077 – Development Opportunity Site Great George Street/Nelson Street/Great Patrick Street/York Street in Draft BMAP 2004 version and Character Area CC 015 Laganside and Docksin Draft BMAP 2015 version.

 

            The Senior Planning officer provided the Members with an overview of the key issues which had been considered in the application, including height, scale and massing, HMO Subject plan 2015, SPG on PBMSA, traffic and parking and impact on residential amenity of neighbours.

 

            She explained that the proposal sought to provide an extension to a built and occupied building.  The Members were advised that the proposed 94 bedrooms equates to approximately a 24% increase when compared to the previous approval. She explained that the proposal site would complete the block, which was currently in use as a hard standing storage area.

 

            The Members were advised that the proposed extension was considered to complement the existing building and is of an acceptable scale, layout and form.  She added that, in terms of prospective residents, each unit had adequate outlook to the public street and external amenity areas and that there was sufficient internal separation distances between rooms to prevent overlooking.  The Committee was advised that the proposal complied with all criteria set out in HMO 7 of the HMO subject plan.

           

            She outlined that all consultees had offered no objections to the proposal, subject to conditions and no objections from third parties had been received.

 

            The Chairperson welcomed Mr. T. Stokes, agent, to the meeting.  He clarified that, when the original application was made for the existing building, the site in question was not under the control of the applicant.  He confirmed that the corridors would connect through to the existing building and that no objections had been received.

 

            In response to a Member’s question regarding the Section 76 Agreement relating to the existing building, the Divisional Solicitor confirmed to the Committee that the developer had already made its financial contribution in respect of a nearby pedestrian crossing and that the hold-up was likely due to a commitment of expenditure from the Department for Infrastructure.

 

            In response to a further query regarding developers’ contributions, the Planning Manager advised that a draft Annual Monitoring Report was being compiled by officers and would be submitted to the Committee for its consideration in autumn.

 

            A Member queried how the proposal met the exception test of FLD1 of PPS15.  The Senior Planning officer explained that one of the exceptions was “previously developed land” and, before the site was a car park, there would have been buildings present and a that a Flood Risk Assessment had been prepared and reviewed by Rivers Agency.

 

            The Committee granted approval to the application, subject to conditions as set out in the Case officer’s report and to a Section 76 Agreement in respect of developer contributions and Management Plan, and delegated power to the Director of Planning and Building Control to finalise conditions.

 

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