A plan for a 100 per cent social housing apartment block at the site of the old Havelock House building in South Belfast has been approved despite over 500 objections being lodged and concerns from the Housing Executive.
Controversy has courted the site at Ormeau Road since plans were first put forward to demolish the old UTV building, which was resisted by many locals.
In November 2020, Belfast City Council refused an application by Locka Ltd, a subsidiary of Olympian Homes, to demolish the former UTV building on Belfast’s Ormeau Road to develop a 270-apartment residential building with courtyard gardens and 40 car parking spaces. The building was demolished this year.
At the council’s monthly meeting of its Planning Committee on Tuesday (December 10), elected representatives agreed on an application from developer Genova North West Limited, of Banbridge, in conjunction with Clanmil Housing Association for the erection of 104 residential units across two detached blocks, ranging between three and five storeys, at Havelock Place, BT7.
The plan will cost around £25 million and the developers say they are hoping to start work early next year.
The development would comprise two detached blocks, ranging in height from five storeys along the Ormeau Road elevation, stepping down to three storeys to the rear. The scheme also includes internal courtyard gardens, communal amenity provision and landscaping, 29 car parking spaces within the site to the rear accessed via Ormeau Street, cycle parking and associated works.
On a vote at the Planning Committee, 14 voted in favour of the application, from Sinn Féin, the DUP, the SDLP and the UUP, while four voted against from the Alliance Party.
The application as listed involved 80 per cent “general social housing” and over 55s accommodation, but Sinn Féin successfully proposed the plan would involve 100 per cent social housing after the applicant stated that anything less than 100 per cent might result in the plan not being viable.
The council received a petition from the Donegall Pass Residents Association objecting to the proposal with 462 signatories, as well as 49 other letters of objection. There were no objections from any of the statutory bodies.
The key issues identified in the objections were that the application was the “wrong form” of development and social housing and that the plan would not result in social regeneration.
Objectors also referred to the plan’s high density, height and alleged dominance, stating it was an “inappropriate design,” with lack of amenity space and highlighted the privacy impact, loss of light, and overshadowing
They also referred to issues of security, anti-social issues, crime, nuisance, noise impact, pollution, and the impact from construction and demolition.
The council received a letter from the Housing Executive on the application this week. The council officer at the Planning meeting said: “They confirmed they fully support a mixed tenure scheme of 84 social homes.
“They wished to note there is a higher than average social stock in the area (35 per cent compared to 26.3 per cent) which will increase further with other schemes. There is higher than average private rent (45.1 per cent compared to 22.7 per cent), while owner-occupation is 19.9 per cent compared to the Belfast average of 51 per cent.”
The officer added: “They believe that consideration should be given to intermediate tenures, private for sale, or private for rent. They point out their waiting lists have applicants with different circumstances, different needs, and different levels of points.
“They say it is essential that new homes meet a wider variety of housing needs. They don’t anticipate difficulties achieving fully mixed tenures for schemes of the scale proposed.
“They add a mixed tenure approach is crucial to fulfilling the Belfast Agenda and an ambition to increase city centre living.”
Council planning policy states: “100 percent social housing may be deemed to meet the requirements of the policy where this addresses an identified need and is able to contribute towards sustainable and balanced communities.” It adds: “Large areas of mono-tenure social housing are not deemed to deliver sustainable communities.”
Sinn Féin Councillor Ryan Murphy proposed the committee follow the recommendation of council officers to approve the application but with 100 per cent social housing. He said: “I think we are in a very bizarre situation, given the general public discourse over the past number of months, whereby NI Water have put in objections to social housing because they lack capacity.
“We are in a situation where they can provide (a water connection) in this instance but it is the Housing Executive who are not supportive of the application from what I am reading in the report.
“I think it is also absolutely bizarre to just disregard need, when it comes to the provision of housing.”
