29 short-term lets at 341-345 Albertbridge Road, Belfast

What was proposed

The application proposed a four-storey building containing 29 short-term let units with roof-mounted solar panels.

“Proposal: Erection of a four-storey building to create 29no. short-term let accommodation units with ancillary roof-mounted solar panels.”

“The application seeks permission for the erection of a four-storey building to create 29no. short-term let accommodation units with ancillary roof-mounted solar panels…”

Officer report

The site and surroundings

The vacant former restaurant site lies among commercial and residential uses, beside a paint shop and near Connswater Retail Park.

“The site is located at 341-345 Albertbridge Road, Belfast, BT5 4PY. The site was formally a restaurant which has since been demolished leaving the site vacant. The surrounding area is predominately a mix of commercial and residential uses. Adjacent northeast of the site is a paint shop, southwest to the other side is a vacant site with a previous approval for a 4-storey apartment block comprising 24 apartments (LA04/2016/2183/F).”

“The site is located within the settlement development limit on unzoned whiteland within the Belfast Urban Area Plan (BUAP) 2001. Within the draft Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan 2015 (dBMAP) the site is located within a shopping/commercial area and Albertbridge Road is an Arterial Route. This section of the Albertbridge Road is included within a HMO Development Node.”

Officer report

Earlier planning history

Earlier permissions included residential apartment schemes, while a previous proposal for three storeys with parking and apartments was refused.

“Z/2008/2538/F - 341-345 Albertbridge Road, Belfast, BT5 4PY. Change of use from retail to restaurant and single storey extension to rear. Approved 09/03/2009. Z/2007/2741/F - 331 & 341-345 Albertbridge Road, Ballymacarret, Belfast, BT05 4PY. Construction of 2No. 4 storey residential apartment blocks (14 units). (Amended proposal). Approved 11/11/2008.”

“Z/2006/2192/O - 341-345 Albertbridge Road, Belfast, BT5 4PY. Erection of 3 storey building to include ground floor car parking and 1 retail unit and 9 apartments. Refused 20/12/2007.”

Officer report

Officers advised approval

Officers considered the proposal compliant with relevant short-term let and urban design policies and acceptable for amenity, transport and tourism reasons.

“All representations and associated issues have been fully considered in the assessment of the proposal.”

“The proposal complies with policies HOU13 and DES1 of the Belfast Local Development Plan. Where it strengthens and diversifies short term let accommodation, is located close to public transport, within walking distance from a tourist attraction, appropriate management arrangements and is not located within an HMA.”

Officer report

Consultation and objections

Most consultees raised no objection subject to conditions, while 27 objections concerned parking, traffic, noise, community cohesion and housing matters.

“Statutory Consultations DfI Roads - no objection subject to condition DfI Rivers - no objection subject to condition NI Water – objection NIEA Water Management Unit – objection NIEA Regulation Unit – no objection subject to condition NIEA NED – No objection…”

“Parking and traffic 2. Noise and disturbance 3. Impact on community cohesion 4. Impact on available social housing/residential housing 5. Impact on rent and house prices…”

Officer report

Who spoke

A councillor spoke against the application, arguing that housing need should take priority and that the area was not a meaningful tourism cluster.

What members debated

Members questioned whether the site met the tourism-cluster criterion and raised concerns about housing potential and community cohesion.

“A number of Members questioned how the proposal met Criterion (c) of Policy HOU13, concerned that the site was not located within an existing tourism cluster or in close proximity to a visitor attraction and pointed out that there was a lack of clarity as to what qualified as a visitor attraction.”

“A Member pointed out that the social housing potential in the area should be maximised and that the application presented a cohesion issue with the local community. In response, the Principal Planning Officer stated that the application site was not on land that had been zoned for housing.”

Minutes

The refusal vote

A revised proposal to refuse permission for failing to meet the tourism-cluster criterion was defeated by seven votes to twelve.

“That the Committee refuses the application on the grounds that, the proposal is contrary to Policy HOU13(c), in that a tourism cluster needs to demonstrate a generated sustainable overnight need that the application would not facilitate and the area does not represent a meaningful tourism cluster.”

“On a vote, seven Members voted for the proposal and twelve against and it was declared lost.”

Minutes

The committee’s decision

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

“Accordingly, the Chairperson put the case officer’s recommendation to the Committee and the Committee agreed to grant 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