THE company behind plans to develop a visitor experience on 250 acres at Giant’s Park on Belfast’s North Foreshore has taken the proposal forward.
Giant’s Park Belfast Ltd (GPBL) was selected by Belfast City Council as the preferred developer to initiate what was originally envisaged as a £93 million visitor attraction on the former landfill site.
It was originally thought the attraction, made up of four zones including a leisure hub and theme park, would be completed by 2026.
GBPL has now said the scheme will represent an investment of £180m,
It has lodged a proposal of application notice (PAN) to the council and organised a number of online webinars as part of a public consultation phase ahead of the submission of a full planning application later this year.
Phase one of GBPL's plans comprise a hotel, fast food outlets and a petrol station.
The second phase includes Giant's Adventure Park and an equestrian centre.
Phase three is a research and development park offering 400,000 sq ft of business space.
The Giant’s Park site is already undergoing regeneration, with Belfast Harbour in the process of a £45m plan to quadruple the size of its film studios at the location.
But a proposal by Energia to construct a £40m anaerobic digestion plant on the site has prompted strong opposition from GBPL.
The developer said the biomass plant could have a major impact on its proposal.
Belfast City Council officials have already recommended approving the scheme, but the local authority’s planning committee has already twice deferred a decision on the plant.
It’s understood that initiating a pre-planning application process, will give greater weight to GBPL’s case as part of the planning decision.
It’s opposition to date has included legal submissions to Belfast City Council’s planning committee.
