A new community hub has been approved at a former Catholic girls' school in Ardoyne.
Belfast City Council’s Planning Committee has now fully granted permission for an application by the Flax and ABC Trust to transform the now derelict St Gemma's, closed in 2013, for a “community-led” mixed use regeneration scheme.
It involves the demolition of the existing school buildings off Oldpark Road, and the erection of a community hub with a revised design and layout, alongside a previously approved plan for three retail units, two retail service units, and 54 residential units in a mix of 30 houses and 24 apartments.
The wider regeneration scheme also involves the retention, refurbishment and change of use of the Flax Centre to provide business “incubation space” and education facilities, new public realm improvements along Ardoyne Avenue, the creation of a public space, and associated landscaping and car parking.
At the Council’s Planning Committee this week (February 15), elected members unanimously approved the new community hub element of the regeneration scheme.
The hub building will be two storeys in height. The ground floor will comprise training rooms, a dual use area for a café/event space, community offices, a gym, and a boxing ring/training area, with ancillary admin offices, a foyer, and toilets.
There will also be a secure and enclosed external courtyard area for training purposes. The first floor will comprise two flexible-use halls, changing rooms and a gym, with a multi-use sports/community hall at the rear of the building.
Outside there will be a hard-surfaced open event space to the front or north of the building, with a community allotment garden to the east between the building and the site boundary. Soft landscaping is proposed around the site boundaries.
A total of 17 letters of support were received by the council, and no objections were received. None of the statutory consultees objected.
