Business park could see 300 jobs created

Members of Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council’s Planning Committee approved the proposal, which could generate rates in the region of £500k per year for the local authority, at their monthly meeting at Mossley Mill on April 15.

The plans for the site in the Doagh Road area were submitted to the council by Kemark No 2 Ltd.

They include the proposed erection of a storage and distribution centre and three light industrial units, car parking, site access from Doagh Road, landscaping and associated site and access works.

It is understood the project will take one year to complete and will create 50-60 construction jobs.

After the meeting, a spokesperson for the project’s agent, TSA Planning, said: “Planning secured for a new 240,000 sqft industrial and business park off Doagh Road, Newtownabbey.

“When developed it could deliver around 300 new jobs for the borough.”

Detailing the development, a council spokesperson said: “At its northern boundary, the application site partially abuts the Doagh Road for some 120 metres and partially abuts the rears gardens of numbers 612, 616, 618, 620 and 626 Doagh Road.

“The southern boundary of the application site abuts a watercourse and the railway line with the eastern and western boundaries defined by agricultural hedgerows. Hawthorn hedgerows define the individual field boundaries which intersect the application site.

“No end users have been identified for the units granted planning permission at this time although the agent advised Planning Committee that discussions are on-going with several potential end users.”

Thirty four neighbouring properties were notified about the proposal and eight letters of objection were received from five properties.