Builders’ merchant premises at 41 Montgomery Road (former Lidl supermarket), Belfast

The site and surroundings

The site was a former single-storey supermarket with parking and landscaping, beside homes to the south and business units to the west.

“The site is located at No 41 Montgomery Road, adjacent to the Castlereagh Road. The site consists of a previous free-standing supermarket (Lidl) which is single-storey in height and finished in render with a mono pitch roof finished in tiles. There are hard standing parking areas located to the east and north of the building with a landscaped buffer area around the site periphery.”

Officer report

Earlier permission and site history

Permission granted in 2022 allowed four Class B4 units as part of a wider regeneration scheme, and that permission remains extant.

“In March 2022, full planning permission was granted under application LA04/2020/1211/F for a mixed use regeneration scheme involving: demolition of vacant buildings on the Hughes Christensen site; erection of 8No. Class B2 (light industrial) and Class B4 (storage/distribution) units; extension to and subdivision of, existing supermarket building to form 4no.”

Officer report

Why officers supported it

Officers considered the proposal acceptable because the B4 use was established, the design would improve the building, and impacts could be controlled by conditions.

“Permission was granted to extend and subdivide the former supermarket building to form 4no Class B4 units in March 2022 as part of a wider, mixed-use regeneration scheme. The principle of B4 use (storage and distribution) has therefore been established on the site. In the intervening period between the extant approval and the current proposal, the Belfast Local Development Plan (LDP) Plan Strategy was adopted in May 2023.”

“These hours are considered to be a significant reduction compared to those indicated in the NIA. Furthermore, it is noted that there is an extant planning permission for the site for Class B4 storage and distribution via LA04/2020/1211/F which limits operations and deliveries to between 07:00 to 21:00 hours Monday to Saturday, and 12:00 to 18:00 hours on a Sunday only.”

Officer report

Noise and neighbouring homes

A neighbour raised concerns about noise and operating hours, while officers proposed operating limits and an acoustic barrier to protect residential amenity.

“A representation was received from a resident at No 3 Clonduff Drive,to the east of the site. The resident detailed noise from the resultant development as a concern as well as concerns regarding the operating hours of the proposal. A Noise Impact Assessment (NIA)was submitted as part of the application and forwarded to BCC Environmental Health for comments.”

Officer report

Consultation responses

DAERA, NI Water, DfI Roads Service and Environmental Health raised no objection, with DfI Roads Service and Environmental Health seeking conditions.

“Statutory Consultees DAERA Natural Environment Division – No objection NI Water – No objection DfI Roads Service – No objection subject to conditions…”

“Non Statutory Consultees BCC Environmental Health – No objection subject to conditions…”

Officer report

What the speakers said

The agent said the proposal would provide a larger, accessible site for JP Corry, support local employment and redevelop a prominent brownfield site.

Members’ question

A member asked how the acoustic barrier would reduce noise, and the Principal Planning Officer said Environmental Health accepted the proposed mitigation.

“In response to a question from a Member with regard to the proposed acoustic barrier and how it would mitigate any noise pollution, the Principal Planning Officer explained that the Noise Impact Assessment had been discussed with Environmental Health which had indicated that it was content that the appropriate mitigations would be provided in order to protect local residents.”

Minutes

The committee’s decision

The committee granted planning permission subject to conditions and delegated authority for finalising non-substantive matters.

“The Committee granted planning permission, subject to conditions, and delegated authority to the Director of Planning and Building Control to finalise the wording of conditions, and to deal with any other matters that might arise provided that they were not substantive.”

Minutes