Leisure and entertainment venue at Adelaide Business Centre 2-6 Apollo Road, Belfast

What was proposed

The application sought to convert office and storage space into leisure, restaurant, parking and associated uses, including changes to the elevations.

“Committee Date: 12 th August 2025 Application ID: LA04/2024/2077/F Proposal: Proposed change of use from office space (B1) and storage or distribution (B4) to Bowling Alley, Restaurant, Indoor Golf, Children’s Soft Play, VR Zone & Amusements, Smoking Area, Car Parking and Associated Site Works. Proposal includes changes to elevations. Location: Adelaide Business Centre 2-6 Apollo Road, Belfast, BT12 6HP Referral Route: Major development.”

“Date Valid: 29 th January 2025 Target Date: 27 th August 2025 Contact Officer: Ciara Reville, Principal Planning Officer (Development Management) Executive Summary: The application seeks full permission for a change of use from office space (B1) and storage or distribution (B4) to Bowling Alley, Restaurant, Indoor Golf, Children’s Soft Play, VR Zone & Amusements, Smoking Area, Car Parking and Associated Site Works. Proposal includes changes to elevations.”

Officer report

Earlier applications

Earlier permissions and submissions concerned vehicle storage, a hotel and apartments, and a previous leisure proposal at the site.

“LA04/2018/1321/F- Unit 2-6 Apollo Road- Change of Use from Call Centre to vehicle storage including new access vehicle access ramp and associated site works. Permission Granted 24 th October 2018.”

“LA04/2018/2117/PAN- Unit 2-6 Apollo Road- Development of an 87 bed Hotel, 36 apartments and 14 business studios. PAN Concluded.”

Officer report

Consultation responses

Most consultees raised no objection, while NI Water recommended refusal because of network capacity issues and DAERA raised environmental concerns.

“DfI Roads: No objection subject to conditions • DfI Rivers: No objection • Shared Environmental Services: No objection • DAERA (NIEA): Raised concerns that the proposal has the potential to adversely affect the surface water environment • NI Water: Recommend refusal…”

“BCC Local Development Plan Team: No objection • BCC Environmental Health: No objection with conditions…”

Officer report

Objections and support

Six late objections raised road safety, rights of way, parking, access, contaminated land and consultation, while four late letters supported the application.

“The Principal Planning Officer summarised the application and explained that the application had been approved by the Committee at its meeting in August, 2025 and that, subsequently, six late objections had been received which raised the following issues:”

“Road safety; • Conflict with existing right of way; • Parking; • Access; • Contaminated land; and • Community consultation.”

Minutes

Who spoke

An objector’s representative argued that parking, vehicle movements and rights of way created conflict, while the agent and applicant’s advisers supported approval.

What members considered

The applicant’s representatives said amendments removed eastern parking spaces, protected the right of way and showed transporter movements would not be affected.

“She stated that the objection in relation to right of way was a civil matter and not a planning matter. She added that objections related to parking layout had been considered by planning offers and that the applicant had removed all spaces along the eastern boundary to facilitate Agnew’s operations with its own planning permission.”

“She informed the Committee that the revised ground floor plan demonstrated that the proposal did not seek to introduce any obstruction or impinge upon the right of way and demonstrated that Agnew’s existing transporter movements would not be impacted upon by the proposal.”

Minutes

The committee’s decision

The committee granted planning permission subject to conditions and delegated authority to finalise non-substantive wording and related 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 the conditions and to deal with any other issues that might arise, provided that they were not substantive.”

Minutes