A social housing development with 260 homes in west Belfast has been approved.
Belfast City Council’s Planning Committee approved the development for the north side of Glen Road on Thursday.
The site area is approximately nine hectares, and the applicants are Radius Housing Association and Choice Housing.
The housing mix will have 16 one bed units, 158 two bed units, 77 three bed units and nine four bed units. The scheme comprises two and three-storey detached dwellings, semi-detached dwellings and apartment blocks. The predominant house type is semi-detached units.
A total of 444 car parking spaces are proposed. Two vacant dwellings located on the site will be demolished to make way for the proposed development.
There were no objections from non-statutory consultees, and council officers recommended the application for approval. Five letters of objection were received by the council.
Objectors raised concerns relating to the loss of green fields, noise and disturbance, the impact on privacy/security and loss of light to adjacent houses.
Objectors also raised concerns about the visual impact of dwellings along the northern edge of the site, and the impact on an area of high scenic value. They said there was an absence of an appropriate landscape buffer along the northern edge of the site.
The council planning officer states in a report: “The site is zoned for housing and is within the development limits of Belfast where there is a presumption in favour of residential development at this location.
“No objections have been raised by Environmental Health in terms of noise disturbance to nearby properties. The retention and augmentation of established site boundaries will also help mitigate against noise impacts upon adjoining residential areas.
“It is considered that separation distances onto the closest dwellings at the lower lying Glencolin Court would be significant enough to ensure there would be no undue overbearing or dominance experienced by established residents. The site boundaries will ensure adequate enclosure and will ensure the privacy and security of adjacent dwellings are not compromised.
The report adds: “The density, layout and design of the development are considered in keeping with the established housing developments in the area with the predominance of two storey semi-detached dwellings reflective of housing abutting the site to the north-west and the south.
“A number of unprotected trees and some boundary vegetation will be removed, but these are considered to have low conservation status and their felling is outweighed by a comprehensive planting scheme, which includes augmentation of existing boundary planting, in particular the provision of an 8 metre deep buffer along the northern boundary to the countryside
“This would help minimise overall visual impact from distant views, as would rows of internal planting between lower and upper levels which would not only assist in the integration of the development into the landscape but also protect the amenity of prospective residents.”
