In a split vote, Belfast City Council's Planning Committee has backed plans for 18 new social housing units at the Hillview site off the Crumlin Road in North Belfast — despite the recommendation of Planning Officers that the application be refused.
At Tuesday night’s Planning Committee, councillors backed the proposal with eight votes in favour to three against.
Unionists had vowed to oppose the development which is situated on what was a no-man's-land between unionist and nationalist areas of the constituency, claiming they preferred to see it zoned for employment and retail uses.
Nationalist representatives said much of the opposition to the proposal was motivated by sectarianism.
The plans include the residential development of 18 social housing units, comprising two terraces. The development includes associated car parking, gardens, landscaping, site access and all other site works.
Sinn Féin MLA Carál Ní Chuilín welcomed the support from Belfast City Council’s Planning Committee.
“There are 4,000 people on waiting list for a home in north Belfast," she said.
“I met with Belfast City Council’s Planning Committee and made a presentation on a proposal to build homes on the mixed use Hillview site.
“There is an onus on all political parties to get to grips with the housing crisis and ensure that opportunities like the Hillview development are seized with both hands to build homes for those who need them.”
220 objections were received, including written objections from North Belfast DUP representatives including William Humphrey MLA, Cllr Nicola Verner, Cllr Brian Kingston, Cllr Dale Pankhurst and Cllr Dean McCullough.
Objections related to the use of the retail site for housing, impact on community issues, safety concerns, contrary to wider planning policy, inappropriate layout and impact on the character of the area, poor outlook onto peace wall, inadequate amenity provision, design and layout create conflict with adjacent land uses. They also expressed concern about the impact on residential amenity, particularly at the north western corner of the site. It was also claimed the proposal could encourage crime and compromise personal safety given the so-called sensitive location of the site.
One letter of support was received from a resident of the greater North Belfast area welcoming much-needed housing in the area.
At Planning Committee, councillors from the DUP and PUP voted to support the recommendation of Planning Officers to reject the application but this was defeated 8-3 by the combined votes of Sinn Féin, the Alliance Party, the Green Party and the SDLP.
A spokesperson for North Belfast DUP said: “It was no surprise that Planning Officers recommended refusal of this application to put social housing in the car park of a retail park at an interface location. The large number of objections from local unionist communities demonstrates the strong concern that exists over this application.
“We are appalled that certain parties – some of which have no mandate in the local Electoral Areas - have made it their business to ignore the objections of Planning Officers, statutory consultees and local communities to force through this highly political and controversial decision.
“The DUP has consistently supported the development of Hillview Retail Park as a shared space providing employment and retail opportunity for people from all surrounding communities and beyond. Creating a new interface will do massive harm to community relations within this area and will, in all likelihood, turn this into a contested site instead of a shared space.
“We have witnessed the efforts of republicans over the years to frustrate the development of this retail park and it is disgraceful that other parties have now supported that agenda.
“We will pursue all avenues open to appeal against this decision and will continue to support efforts at statutory and community level to have this highly political decision reversed.”
