Forty new residential homes have been approved beside the listed King’s Hall building.
At the Belfast City Council Planning Committee this week, elected representatives green lighted the erection of 40 residential units and two commercial units with associated car parking, cycle storage servicing, landscaping with access off Balmoral Avenue.
The location is at the King's Hall and Royal Ulster Agricultural Society site south of Upper Lisburn Road/Balmoral Avenue, west of Harberton Park and north-east of Balmoral Golf Club.
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Eight objections were received by the council, raising concerns relating to the access arrangements from Balmoral Avenue, the traffic impact of the proposed development and impact on neighbouring amenity.
The council responded: “The Balmoral Avenue access arrangements were approved as part of Phase One of the King’s Hall redevelopment (restoration and extension to the listed King’s Hall) and are in operation. The Department for Infrastructure Roads Division has raised no objection to the proposed access arrangements from Balmoral Avenue to serve the site.
“The siting of the proposed development has sought to maximise separation distances between it and adjacent properties which are considered to be sufficient to ensure that no adverse impact will result to neighbouring amenity.”
None of the statutory consultees made any objections to the application. The application is a standalone application in its own right and is not dependent on other development on the wider site.
The last section of the King’s Hall redevelopment plan was approved two years ago by the council, with just over half the Planning Committee approving medical and health services centres, a retirement living plot, a multi storey car park, local retail centres, restaurant and cafe areas, and a plot for leisure and gym facilities.
The plan involved associated internal access roads, new public realm and amenity open space, including a central plaza and new access from Upper Lisburn Road. It was held up over concerns over a plan to build a 607 space multi storey car park in the new health complex.
In December 2020 the council approved a care home on the site, beside a building for supported accommodation for older people. The site is close to Stockman’s Lane beside the M1, which has some of the worst air pollution levels in the UK.
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