Temporary classroom village at Harberton North Special School 29a Fortwilliam Park, Belfast

“Proposal: Erection of temporary mobile classroom village to facilitate future refurbishment and extension of existing Harberton North Special School, comprising 3 no. 2-storey blocks of temporary classroom accommodation, temporary hard play areas, temporary staff and visitor parking areas, tree removal and landscaping.”

“Executive Summary: This application seeks the erection of temporary mobile classroom village to facilitate future refurbishment and extension of existing Harberton North Special School. The proposal comprises of 3 no. 2-storey blocks of temporary classroom accommodation, temporary hard play areas, temporary staff and visitor parking areas, tree removal and replacement and landscaping.”

“The site is located within the settlement limit within Belfast Urban Area Plan (BUAP) and Draft Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan 2015 (versions 2004 and 2014) and within the Somerton Road / Chichester Park Conservation Area. The site is near a number of listed buildings. The proposal includes the removal and replacement of a number of trees to facilitate the temporary buildings, parking and access.”

“The site is located in North Belfast at an existing school facility known as “Harberton Special School”. The wider campus is broadly rectangular in shape and approximately 3.1 hectares in size. It comprises a series of linked buildings in a broadly “L” shaped layout orientated west-to-east towards the front of the site and parallel to the northern and eastern site boundaries.”

“Statutory Consultations DfI Roads – No objections subject to conditions NI Water – Approval NIEA – Further info requested, dealt with via pre-commencement condition…”

“Non-Statutory Consultations BCC Environmental Health – No objections subject to conditions BCC Conservation team – No Objection subject to BCC Trees – No objections subject to conditions…”

“Representations The application has been advertised and neighbours notified. The Council has received two representations which raise the following concerns: • Unclear number of trees to be felled; • Impact on residential amenity i.e. loss of light, privacy; • Increased noise, activity and traffic levels.”

“Amended plans were received which relocated the classroom blocks. The application was re-neighbour notified and advertised. Whilst no further comments were received, the issues raised have been fully assessed within the planning assessment section of the report below.”

“She stated that, having regard to the Development Plan and material considerations, it was recommended that temporary planning permission be granted, to 30th September, 2030, subject to conditions.”

“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 the issues were not substantive.”

“The development hereby permitted shall be removed and the land restored to its former condition on or before 30 September 2030.”

“Prior to any work commencing all tree protective measures, protective barriers (fencing) and ground protection is to be erected or installed as specified and in accordance with the British Standard 5837: 2012 (section 6.2) on any trees to be retained within the site, and must be in place before any materials or machinery are brought onto site for demolition, development or soil stripping.”