Council agrees 80 new homes plan for old Carrick factory site

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has recommended approval of the proposal on the site of the former Flaxall’s factory.

The disused two-storey textile printing factory would be demolished to make way for a new residential development on the two-hectare site.

An outline application was approved at a meeting of the council’s planning committee last Thursday.

NIEA Waste Management unit has indicated that it had no objections to the development of the site and agreed that an intrusive investigation needed to be carried out due to “potential sources of contamination” including chemical and oil storage tanks, asbestos, an electrical sub-station and “pollutant linkages”.

This investigation was completed in 2010.

Additional soil and groundwater data was requested and NIEA was said to have been “satisfied” with the information submitted. Previously, Invest NI had asked that the site be considered as “valuable local industrial land resource to be protected for future economic use.”

However, it was noted that no representations were received either in support of or objecting to the proposed development.

Additional soil and groundwater data was requested and NIEA was said to have been “satisfied” with the information submitted.

Previously, Invest NI had asked that the site be considered as “valuable local industrial land resource to be protected for future economic use”.

It was also indicated that the land be retained as such although it is not an Invest NI site.

It is located within an area “zoned as existing employment land”.

However, it was noted that no representations were received either in support of or objecting to the proposed development.

The committee also noted that there are residential developments adjacent to the site and to the north east.