Calls for Minister to revoke Edenderry planning permission

They handed in a protest letter to officials to be forwarded to the Environment Minister Edwin Poots.

Ian Lamont, Honorary Secretary of the USPC, said there are "all sorts of reasons" for turning down the application for the development at the site of the former Edenderry Mill, where developers want to build a four-storey mixed-use development including offices, craft shops and a restaurant.

In his letter to the Minister, Mr Lamont said they were unhappy at the decision of the planners and had therefore decided to ask the minister to intervene.

Speaking after the protest Mr Lamont said that at the time of the approval, an Environmental Impact Assessment was not required but added: "Changes in the rules now mean that an Environmental Impact Assessment can be asked for at the full planning stage. This application pre-dated the change in the rules. We are saying the Minister should intervene and revoke the outline permission and they should re-apply when they have an Environmental Impact Assessment and go through the current procedures.

"I don't think the development proposed is appropriate, we are not against development on the site but we don't think this development is right, particularly when it is right to the river's edge, which will create a high concrete wall right along the river.

"This is in an area of outstanding natural beauty in the Lagan Valley Regional Park and there are all sorts of reasons why this development should not proceed, as it may well do if Planning Service approve the development, hence our request to the Minister to revoke the outline permission given in 2006 and start from scratch.

"The last we heard there were 145 objections on file and certainly we have support from Jeffrey Donaldson MP and other political representatives and the Board at the Lagan Valley Regional Park, who sent in quite a strong objection. We're just one of many objectors. We've taken the initiative of writing to the Planning Service about this and certainly the residents are fully supportive of what we're doing."