Agenda item

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0        Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1                 Correspondence has been received from the Historic Environment Division (HED) of the Department for Communities (DFC), notifying the Council that 9 no. historic street signs within the Belfast Council area have been formally listed under section 80 of the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       Committee is requested to:

·        Note the correspondence (available on mod.gov) notifying the Council of the listing of the 9 no. street signs.

3.0       Main report

3.1       Members will recall that a Notice of Motion (NOM) was considered at the Planning Committee meeting of 18 August 2020 in respect of the restoration and listing of 12 no. historic street signs within the city. 

3.2       The Council then contacted HED to begin a formal process regarding their potential for listing. Members will recall that the council was then consulted by HED, under an Advance Notice of Listing (ANL) which was brought before the planning committee on 19th January 2021.  Members endorsed the proposed listings with no further comments at that time.

3.3       The information in Appendix 1 (available on mod.gov) provides full details of the signs which have now been listed. Members may wish to note that of the 12 no. signs included in the NOM, a total of 8 no. have now been formally listed by HED.  1 no. additional sign has also been listed, which was not included in the initial NOM.

3.4       The notification from HED confirms that the following street signs have now been listed:

·        Beersbridge Road and Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast (back edge of footpath)

·        Belmont Church Road and Sydenham Avenue, Belfast (back edge of footpath)

·        Carolhill Gardens and Holywood Road (back edge of footpath)

·        Cherryvalley Park and Kensington Road, Belfast (back edge of footpath / garden)

·        Clonlee Drive and Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast (garden)

·        Eastleigh Drive and Kincora Avenue, Belfast (garden)

·        Kensington Road and Knock Road (back edge of footpath / garden)

·        Knockland Park and Barnett’s Road, Belfast (relocated to back edge of footpath)

·        Summerhill Parade and Barnett’s Road, Belfast (back edge of footpath / garden)

3.5       The information in Appendix 2 (available on mod.gov) sets out:

·        which street signs were specifically raised through the NOM;

·        which street signs were subsequently reviewed through the ANL; and

·        which street signs have now been formally listed.

3.6       Clarification has been sought from HED whether they intend to pursue with a review/survey of the remaining 4 no. signs from the initial NOM, and a timescale for such, in addition to their intentions regarding the future review/survey of historic signs both within Belfast and other council areas.  Members will informed of any response.

            Financial & Resource Implications 

            None.

            Equality or Good Relations Implications

            None.”

            The Committee noted the contents of the report.