The votes to approve two major apartment schemes in Belfast city centre were held behind closed doors, it has emerged.
Belfast City Council’s planning committee met on Tuesday night to consider recommendations to approve four major residential projects, which between them contained 700 units.
Two of the projects were recommended for approval by officials despite failing to adhere to the council’s affordable housing policy.
HOU5 states that residential development on sites greater than 0.1 hectares and/or containing five or more dwelling units, should allocate a minimum of 20% of units for affordable housing.
Neither the McAleer & Rushe proposal for 298 build-to-rent apartments on Tomb Street, or the Vinder Capital/ Endeavour Investments proposal for 77 apartments on May Street, include any affordable units.
In both cases, the developers argued it would make their schemes economically unviable.
Despite the absence of affordable units, planning officials recommended both go ahead, with the added condition that an affordable housing review clause be included for both developments.
According to a Local Democracy report, the May Street proposal went into a restricted session for 20 minutes on Tuesday, where the applicant’s representative spoke with councillors in private.
The vote to approve the scheme also took place behind closed doors, with the decision announced afterward.
According to a Local Democracy report, McAleer & Rushe’s controversial proposal for 298 build-to-rent apartments on the site of a multi-storey car park on Tomb Street, was also heard and approved during a one hour restricted session held behind closed doors on Tuesday.
The Co Tyrone developer has also agreed to pay £400,000 toward public realm and connectivity in the city centre, as a condition of the Tomb Street approval.
