Council PPS21 pleadenied by planners

A REQUEST by the council to make an exception for an application blocked by PPS 21 has been denied by the planning service.

The council had originally written to the planning service requesting for an amendment to P.P.S 21 which would allow an exemption to apply in the case of accesses onto class C roads and minor roads bearing little traffic.

Planning service replied by letter advising that it would not be possible to amend policy PPS21 without the agreement of the Stormont Executive

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At last Thursday night’s monthly Public Sector Liaison Meeting of Council, Alderman Hugh Nicholl outlined to members that PPS 21 requires access roads to be improved, however if they don’t own the land on either side of the road then they can’t carry this work out.

He said: “ If people don’t own the land where it joins the road they can’t upgrade it.

“I know an owner who, to get planning permission, they’re going to have to bring the access road up to a standard.

“However they don’t own the land on each side of the road so they can’t do it.

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“We need to take this as far as we can. A lot more replacement dwellings are going to be refused by this.”

The letter from the divisional planning manager stated: “The Department will therefore seek the advice of Roads Service with respect to both existing and proposed access to replacement dwellings.

“Their advice on the suitability of the accesses in relation to road safety standards will be considered in determining planning applications for replacement dwellings.”

Chair Declan O’Loan said: “We must make it clear that none of us want to prejudice road safety.”