Harmony House development gets go ahead from planners

Approval was given for a residential development at the Queensway site, which has been up for sale since 2010.

The MoD sought planning permission to demolish the 27,000 square feet of office space on the site to make way for up to 24 houses.

Their outline scheme includes 13 five bedroom homes, six four bedroom houses and five three bedroom homes. Five objections to the application were lodged with the Planning Service opposing the scheme.

They would replace the two storey office building which was built by the army in 1976 and used as a training centre throughout the Troubles.

The closure of the base, which is on a 4.6 acre site off Queensway, was announced by the government in 2006 as part of the normalisation process.

When the planning application was lodged in 2010, a spokesperson for the MoD said: “We intend to sell the site with outline planning permission but any future purchaser of the site will have to submit an application for full planning permission, which will have to be granted before any construction takes place.

“The MOD will not build this development and will retain no interest when the site is sold. All properties will be open-market houses.”