‘Fed-up’ Residents revolt against Ballee home plan

Cllr. Paul Frew, the DUP MLA for North Antrim has thrown his weight behind the protesters in their battle against the planning application from the Northern Health and Social Care Trust which would, if successful, see a new Residential home for 12-18 year olds being built adjacent to the site of their existing facility off Hollybank Park.

Access to the proposed site would be via Old Antrim Road

Mr. Frew and Cllr Beth Adger recently met with the Trust’s chief executive on site along with a small group of residents representing the views of the people objecting to the plans. He also attended a briefing session at trust headquarters on March 24 to discuss the planning application .

The DUP MLA stated: “It was very clear even then that the people were totally opposed to the new plans. For years and years the people of Hollybank Park and the old Antrim Road/Antrim Road were subjected to anti-social behaviour emanating from the facility and from other youths who were attracted to the home or the young people living in it.

“This was of course bad enough but when the residents tried to find redress by contacting the Trust ,they found that the Trust did not or was not prepared to take their complaints seriously enough or was ineffective in the way they handled things. This has been admitted by the Trust,” he added.

Mr. Frew continued: “This has led to years of frustration and a lack of Trust. Now the planning service are looking at an application with 66 objection letters and a petition against with 70 addresses and 96 signatures - this is a practically unique example of unity amongst residents and vividly demonstrates the level of frustration which exists.

“I, along with local residents met again with the trust on July 25 to discuss and explore possibilities around this issue and although they listened to our views it was clear that our proposals to ease the situation were not on the Trust’s agenda for one reason or another.

“This is a difficult problem to grapple with because while appreciating the need for such a facility the issue is where it is situated - right in the heart of a residential area that has a history of torment around the existing unit .

Mr. Frew said he found it ‘very disturbing’ that the application was only submitted in April yet it had already been placed on the schedule for Council consultation.

“That is a matter of a mere four months,” he noted. “With all the objections you would have thought that Planning service would have taken longer to come to an opinion when you consider that there have been economically beneficial applications from the private sector taking years to get through the process.”

Cllr Frew will now ask for an office meeting with the planners to discuss their opinion on the planning application.

He warned: “This is not over! I’m fully aware of the concerns of the residents and the determination they have to keep fighting this to the very end. I will be requesting an office meeting with the planners to discuss this application, which will be held at the end of September with local residents in attendance.”