A North Belfast social housing apartment block has been delayed over worries about lack of private outdoor space for residents.
At the recent meeting of Belfast City Council’s Planning Committee, elected members agreed to delay a decision on a proposed two and a half storey social housing residential building comprising 11 apartments, with new landscaping, access, and parking at 29 Parkside Gardens, off Limestone Road. The site, beside Alexandra Park, was previously used as a builder’s yard.
Councillors agreed to give the developers JAMDAC Developments Ltd, of Mount Charles Belfast, time to look at various issues including amenity space.
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Council planning officers recommended that elected members refuse the application.
The planning reports states: “In terms of the proposed built form and layout, the proposed bulk, scale and massing are considered to be unacceptable, out of character and would appear dominant. The proposal would not be in keeping with the existing area and would detrimentally impact on its character and appearance.
“The proposal shows an excess of hardstanding, no private amenity space and insufficient and inappropriate communal amenity space, which will be largely shadowed by the proposed building. There is no landscaped buffer provided to the protected park with the built form positioned almost to the boundary of the site.”
It adds: “In terms of residential amenity there will be overlooking to existing rear amenity and windows of neighbours and there is a potential for a perception of dominance given the relative difference in scale proposed.
“Outlook for prospective residents would be dominated by hardstanding and parking and to the north facing apartments the proximity of trees, outside the ownership of the applicant, may result in significant shadow. The applicant has failed to demonstrate that trees within Alexander Park will not be impacted by the development.”
The Stormont Historic Environments Division, Rivers Agency, Environmental Health and NIEA Regulation Unit and Natural Heritage have no objection to the proposal subject to conditions. No objections were received by the council from local residents.
However NIEA Water Management advised the proposal has “the potential to adversely impact the surface water environment.” NI Water has recommended refusal due to “insufficient capacity.”
Sinn Fein said if the proposed car parking plan for 11 spaces was instead used for outdoor amenity space for residents they would back the plan.
Sinn Fein Councillor Ryan Murphy said: “It's not that far from a main arterial route. Within the travel plan there is talk of travel cars.”
He added: “To be honest I don’t have a problem with the apartment block in itself. Even on some of the concerns raised around overlooking - I am conscious that some of the report centres on the kitchen area overlooking neighbouring properties. But how often do you sit in your kitchen and dining area?”
He said: “In terms of the dominance, when you are entering Parkside Gardens, there are tenant houses on the way in, pretty close in proximity to this development. Looking at the CGI images, it's not really out of keeping.
“For me the main issue is amenity space. It has become more of a focus coming out of Covid, and making sure people have it. Is there not an appetite there to use the car park to provide more amenity space within that development? In my view that would address most of the concerns.”
A representative for JAMDAC Developments said: “As far as the car parking, that is something we would be happy to look into should we be given the opportunity.”
The Northern Ireland Housing Executive has identified North Belfast as the area of greatest need. By the end of 2021 the waiting list for North Belfast was 2,906 applicants, of which 2,224 were housing stress applicants. There were only 453 allocations in the past year. Singles and small families account for 75 percent of the waiting list.
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