New apartments proposal on car dealership site in Ballyclare town centre approved
An application for outline permission for a proposed residential development at Rashee Road, Ballyclare, was approved at a meeting of Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council’s Planning Committee, in Mossley Mill, on Monday evening.
Speaking at the meeting, the council’s head of planning Barry Diamond said that the “principle of residential development is considered to be acceptable” and “appropriate lay-out can be achieved”.
He indicated that one car parking space will be available for each apartment. Mr Diamond said this is “considered acceptable” due to the town centre location.
He reported two additional objections to the amended development proposal which raised concerns about the proposed road lay-out and “boundary treatments”.
Planning agent Gary Lamont told the local government authority committee: “After the last proposal was withdrawn, we have come up with this alternative scheme. We hope it is sympathetic in addressing issues. We have reduced the number of apartments and are able to get a single car parking space per apartment.”
An application was withdrawn in May following the submission of amended drawings by the applicant’s agent.
A report to the committee this week said that the amended proposal is for a two-storey apartment block providing 12 units including eight two-bed units and four one-bed units. The proposed apartment block is set back from the public road by approximately 33 metres.
It is noted that the site is currently occupied by a car dealership with the showroom to be demolished and the forecourt to be retained as an area of hard-standing for car parking and shared access for vehicles and pedestrians.
The report said that the proposal “seeks to utilise the existing access associated with the car sales business and it is accepted that the use of the access will be intensified given the proposed residential use”.
Department for Infrastructure Roads has not objected to either the parking or access arrangements proposed.
The report indicated that an objector had raised concern about site security for the neighbouring Orange Hall “in regard to uncertainty on boundary treatments and having a residential development to the rear of the hall”.
Earlier objection letters received by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council planners raised concern about potential overlooking to neighbouring dwellings at George Close and the medical centre.
In relation to the privacy of patients from the neighbouring health centre, it was indicated that the single storey part of the health centre located closest to the proposed development site is the “most likely to be affected”.
However, there is a “sufficient boundary wall intervening to prevent direct overlooking at ground floor level”, the report said.
“Consideration has also been afforded to the recently approved extension to the health centre. There are no windows on the side elevation of the health centre to be overlooked,” it also stated.
Mr Diamond said that the recommendation was to grant permission. Threemilewater Alliance Alderman Tom Campbell proposed approving the recommendation, seconded by Ballyclare DUP Councillor Jeannie Archibald-Brown. Following a vote, the application was approved unanimously.
Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter