Ballymoney Borough Council to back town development plan

A major commercial development in Ballymoney is to get support from the Borough Council.

The development, at Castle Street, comprises four storey mixed use development fronting directly on to the street near the junction with Main Street.

The proposal is to construct four comercial units and six dwellings - a hot food takeaway and two other commercial units on the ground floor, a restaurant on the first floor, together with three dwellings on each of the next two floors.

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However, in order to progress the plans, a request has been submitted to the Council on behalf of McIntyre Properties, asking if the council will permit the removal of a facing wall and planters, etc., adjoining the site location thus allowing multiple access.

The developer’s agent submitted a number of points in support of the proposal.

These included the fact that the development would regenerate 25 Castle Street as the shop unit has been empty for more than a year without looking council grants for regeneration

Also: * much needed jobs would be created in Ballymoney.

* improves the look of the town.

* saves council funds maintaining flower beds and cleaening litter in hedges.

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* brings much needed funds to council through rates of new business.

* hides the rear of rough premises on Main Street, cleaning up the area.

* removes areas where rats and mice can nest behind walls and hedges.

* enhances the look when visitors comes to the memorials opposite.

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* the restaurant will bring and keep people in the evenings adding to town centre living.

* provides appartments for town centre living without going through the living over the shops initiative.

The agent suggest that the Council ought to deal with the request made in the same way has members have dealt with similar requests previously regarding the disposal of an asset.

The submission was made to the Development Committee and it was recommended that council agree to the disposal of the land in principle and that a further report be brought when the most appropriate means of obtaining best value had been determined.

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Planning for the proposed development had been considered at a previous meeting of councillors and had been in the public domain for sometime.

The council were warned that if they did not agree in principle to dispose of the lands the file would be closed.

On the proposal of Councillor Ian Stevenson seconded by Councillor Anita Cavlan it was recommended that the council agree to the disposal of the land in principle and that a further report be brought to the committee when the most appropriate means of obtaining best valued had been determined.

Alderman James Simpson abstained from voting as he made clear he wished to study the plans, file and background.

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Head of Corporate Services, Liz Kinnaird, pointed to the need to procure the services of a valuer for this and other land disposal issues and also recommended that the council invite applications to provide valuation services to council as and when required.

It was confirmed that there was no cost to the council in progressing procurement for these services for which a specification would be drawn up.

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