Green light for plans for a £25m chilled food factory at former ‘burn house’ site

Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council’s (LCCC) planning committee signed off the application from the local company ‘PRM Distribution Ltd’.

Councillors unanimously voted in favour of the jobs boost investment as a move away from the “stigma” and “stink” of the old ‘Burn House’ abattoir, which ceased operation over 30 years ago. The Moira Road site, adjacent to the River Lagan, had previously been granted planning permission by then Stormont Environment Minister, Alex Attwood (SDLP) to become a waste recycling facility in 2013.

The waste gasification plant by Energos Ltd was purported to have the ability to convert 80,000 tonnes of mixed waste into electricity and heat each year. However, the development never took place with planning permission expiring in 2018.

PRM acquired the site in 2019 and put a planning application in to LCCC in December 2022. The site is currently used for HGV lorry storage.

Agent for the developer, Andy Stevens said: “The applicant proposes to invest between £20-25 million on the redevelopment to operate in conjunction with the Rathdown Road site as it wishes to retain its bases in Lisburn rather than Dublin.

“This investment in the Burn House site will ensure PRM has a modern state of the art facility to meet current and future client requirements with increased storage capacity, manufacturing and distribution co-located on one site. Rathdown will be a back-up facility.

“The construction will generate a £5.7 million Gross Value Added (GVA) contribution to Lisburn and Castlereagh GDP and support 85 jobs during the construction phase of the project.

“Once open for business, PRM could create/sustain 63 local jobs, of which around 50 would be based at the development itself, and support £1.8 million of GVA.

“Once the proposed development runs at full capacity, it is estimated there would be 222 jobs created/sustained, generating £6.5 million of GVA contributions to GDP in the local economy.”

Concerns were raised in chambers over the flooding of the area which could lead to potential waterway pollution at the River Lagan. A council officer: “As the site does flood, a review of the flood system to be used by the developer can be put in place.”