THE Chinese Consulate in Belfast have submitted new plans for a Visa Processing Office – after a year of controversy over a wall erected at the Malone Road site.
Last year, residents held protests after a security wall and new entrance gate was built without planning permission.
The Consulate is based at MacNiece House, a listed building dating back to 1889.
Despite an attempt from Belfast City Council to obtain a court injunction to halt the building work which is an a special conservation area, the Chinese Consulate cited diplomatic immunity with a judge ultimately ruling she had no power to prevent the works.
Belfast City Council has now received a planning application and associated Listed Building Consent application for ‘construction of single storey building for use by the Chinese Consulate as a Visa Processing Centre’ at the Malone Road site.
Local resident, Martin McBurney from Adelaide Park expressed his frustrations at the latest move by the Chinese Consulate.
“In the planning application, the conservation area is wrong and the unauthorised entrance in Adelaide Park is left out of the drawings,” he explained.
“I would be questioning are the Council working with the Chinese Consulate to encourage them to leave out this unauthorised entrance in order to get planning permission.
“As residents, we are fairly annoyed but there is very little we can do. There is obviously higher value to the Consulate from the Council rather than the wishes of the residents.
“The Chinese Consulate say the entrance to this new building will be from the Malone Road but we all know it is beside the Adelaide Park entrance. There is a huge inconsistency.
“Last year, the Council got first complaints regarding the wall in February yet they didn’t issue an enforcement notice until June when the wall was finished.
“The Council also said they couldn’t get access to the site but residents including myself were sending them photos every other day of what was going on site.
“It seems to me that the Council is facilitating all this. They are showing complete disregard for the whole planning process.
“As residents, we are fairly annoyed but there is very little we can do. There is obviously higher value to the Consulate from the Council rather than the wishes of the residents.
“The Chinese Consulate seem to be able to do what they want and the Council does not seem capable of standing up to them.”
A spokesperson for Belfast City Council said: “Council has received a planning application and associated Listed Building Consent application for ‘construction of single storey building for use by the Chinese Consulate as a Visa Processing Centre’ at Mac Niece House, 75-77 Malone Road.
“In accordance with the Council’s scheme of delegation, following a request from an elected member, the application will be considered by the Planning Committee in due course.”
