Plans for Castlerock apartments, coffee shop and retail space approved by Causeway Coast & Glens Council
Causeway Coast and Glens Council has approved plans for for six new apartments, as well as a coffee shop and retail space, in Castlerock.
Members of February’s Planning Committee were presented with an application to demolish existing buildings at 4 Main Street and erect a three-storey building comprising a retail unit, coffee shop and six apartments.
A Planning officer noted Council had received 27 letters of objection to the original application, with issues raised including the scale of the proposal, its impact to amenity, as well as privacy, access, and parking issues.
However, the application has since been amended to reduce the number of apartments from nine to six, and therefore officers recommended that committee members approve.
The officer added: “Objections raise the issue of parking and disturbance of deliveries and based on the parking standards, there is a shortfall of car parking for the proposed uses.
"However, the existing uses on site also have a similar shortfall in terms of provision.
“Weight has been given to the site’s location within the centre of Castlerock; it is adjacent to the train station, bus stops and on-street and public car parking, [and] it is a highly accessible location within working distance of many amenities.”
A spokesperson for the applicant said the development will not have significant impact on surrounding properties as it “fits into the street scene” and has an “appropriate height, scale and design that respects the character of the area”.
“The site is a sustainable location for new residential units. It will help regenerate Castlerock and complies with all relevant planning policy.”
Members voted unanimously in favour of the application.