The Limelight Belfast has been granted further planning permission to hold events in the old Belfast Telegraph Print Hall, after it emerged the company had been holding entertainment events there illegally since last December.
Despite the company holding gigs from famous artists such as Fat Boy Slim illegally over a nine month period after its previous planning permission ended in October last year, the local council has granted an extension of planning permission.
At the recent meeting of Belfast City Council Planning Committee, elected members agreed to the extension of the ground floor of the former printing hall at 122-144 Royal Avenue, Belfast as an event space for a period of 18 months.
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The council received no objections from the public or any of the statutory consultees to the planning application, while the council’s Environmental Health Service advised a period of just a year. The Limelight had asked for three years.
The council planning report states: “The previous temporary planning permission expired on October 16, 2021. Whilst the applicant was unable to make full use of the time frame due to Covid, nevertheless the applicant has continued to operate unlawfully.
"The current application was received on December 16, 2021, two months after the previous permission had expired. Since December 16, 2021 to date there will have been 30 events at the site, without the benefit of planning permission. Events are planned up until 30th March 2023.”
The council report gives a full list of 30 Limelight events held without planning permission at the Royal Avenue venue in those months, including various Shine events, and gigs from Fat Boy Slim, Bicep, Kneecap, and Slowthai. Upcoming events include The Wombats, Wolf Alice, Kasabian, Belle and Sebastian, Jamie Webster and Blossoms.
The council report adds: “On balance considering the temporary planning permissions granted to date, the extant permission for the redevelopment of the site due to expire in February 2023 and Environmental Health’s response, it is recommended that a temporary permission of no more than 18 months is granted to ensure the council can consider the development in the light of circumstances then prevailing and to ensure future development is not hindered by extended temporary use as event space.”
A council officer said: “No noise complaints have been received. The venue was closed for a significant time through the Covid pandemic, during the period of the previous approval. It is thought an approval period of 18 months would allow the council to consider the circumstances prevailing at that time."
There is also an extant planning permission for a large scale mixed use development on then site, which was granted in 2019 and expires in february 2024.
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