A plan for a block of social housing and office space beside St George’s Market has been refused, after a swathe of local objections.
Belfast City Council’s Planning Committee voted against the plan at this week’s meeting (February 15) while council officers recommended the developer make a fresh application after months of delays over the proposal due to local opinion.
Habinteg Housing Association had forwarded a plan to demolish the existing hostel building to provide a four-storey building comprising 15 social housing units, office space and ancillary development at Verner Street, which runs alongside the west side of St George’s Market.
The council received 183 objections to the proposal, as well as letters of objection from Botanic district electoral area representatives, SDLP Councillor Gary McKeown and Sinn Fein Councillor John Gormley.
A council officer told the committee: “The issues raised included a lack of community consultation, the proposal retaining as much of built heritage as possible as opposed to demolition of the building, and the density and size of the proposed residential units. There was concern the new residential units would not be fit for families.”
She added other issues included lack of amenity space, overshadowing, particularly to the lower apartments, and fire safety concerns.
Sinn Fein Councillor John Gormley told the committee: “I don’t believe the proposal in front of members today is the right one. It risks undermining the very engagement to which the council has committed itself. I believe it should be rejected, leaving the door open for the developer and the community to come together to discuss and resolve the acknowledged flaws in this application.”
David Worthington, a representative from the Markets Development Association, told the committee the proposal involves “wholly substandard areas of open space,” and apartments that would "experience constant overshadowing and inadequate light levels.”
He said: “It has been said the proposal doesn’t really need any more private open space because it is close to the Waterfront, City Hall and other open spaces in the city centre. Those are all public open spaces - private open space is essential in all residential developments, and the minimum requirement is 10 square metres per apartment.”
He added: “The message is you are being asked to set aside the regular rules, because this is social housing, and so it should be approved that those rules shouldn’t apply to it. The trouble with this is, you are essentially being told that social housing is second class housing.”
Sinn Fein Councillor Matt Garrett proposed the committee reject the plan, and this was unanimously agreed by elected members.
