Wilmont House makes baby steps to regeneration with asbestos removal plan approved
Initial work to begin the rejuvenation of one of the great houses of Belfast has been approved.
Elected representatives at the Belfast City Council Planning Committee unanimously gave a green light to the first baby steps towards regeneration at Wilmont House, which is in Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park.
The proposal, by the owner and applicant Belfast City Council, is to enable works for safe access and asbestos removal, to allow for a condition survey to occur.
Built in 1859, Wilmont House is a Grade B+ Listed Building, that is, is of special architectural or historic interest, and is protected.
It was originally built as two semi-detached dwellings before being combined into one large home.
Sir Thomas Dixon and his wife, Lady Edith Stewart Dixon, bought the estate and homes in 1919.
The house hosted many prominent visitors, including the Antarctic explorer Captain Scott who stayed there in 1904, and as a temporary home for the Governor of Northern Ireland in 1934 and Prince Henry in 1935.
During World War II, US military officers lived there while the the grounds housed troops.
Lady Dixon handed over the 134 acre demesne to Belfast City Council in 1963, one year before she died, on the stipulation that the ground became a public park and Wilmont House a care home for the elderly.
The parkland has hosted international rose trials since 1964, and in 1991 a Japanese garden was added.
The nursing home closed in 1992 and the house was used for council offices and occasional events. Since 2013 the building has lain derelict.
Three years ago Belfast City Council agreed to commission an independent evaluation to explore restoration options and business uses for Wilmont House. The process has seen delays and studies have stalled due to funding and scoping issues.
Last year Golden Thread Gallery secured £83,270 funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for a feasibility study of Wilmont House, to look at the viability of using the property as a community and arts space.
In June this year the council allocated £400,000 for “immediate remedial and safety measures to secure the structure against further decay.”
The planning approval is part of Belfast City Council structural and condition assessments of the building to support ongoing feasibility work and future public consultations.
The council planning report on the application states: “The application seeks consent for enabling works to remove asbestos from the listed building.
"Due to its derelict condition and concerns around structural integrity, access to the property is severely restricted since a previous asbestos management survey was carried out in 2015.
“At that time, it was noted that access to the building was considerably restricted due to its condition, and since then the condition of the building has further deteriorated.
"It has not been deemed safe to access the building adequately to carry out another asbestos survey and it is the intention of the council to engage a competent licensed asbestos removal contractor to remove all asbestos and contaminated materials within all internal ledges and surfaces of the building.”
The report says there are no interior or exterior development or construction proposals as part of the application.