SCHOOL EDITION 29 MAY 2024 - Flipbook - Page 17
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WEDNESDAY JANUARY 22 2020
Business INsight
Hovis bread workers
to strike for more
dough P29
Kenwright
resolves
planning
spat with
council
RYAN McALEER
LIVERPOOL developer
Lawrence Kenwright looks
to have finally resolved his
planning issues with Belfast
City Council over his longdelayed George Best Hotel.
Officials at the local
authority have
recommended that
Signature Living can go
ahead with the project,
three years after he
acquired the former
Scottish Mutual Building.
The 83-bed hotel, pictured,
was originally
due to open
in the summer
of 2018, but
has been hit
by delays,
prompting
the Liverpool developer
to publicly criticise Belfast
City Council.
In a report set to be
considered by councillors
on Thursday, officials have
said that despite objections
from the Department for
the Environment’s Historic
Environment Division, the
hotelier should be given
consent to develop the
listed building.
HED’s concerns largely
surround the use of dry
lining and the conservation
of original features.
A series of conditions
have been attached to the
recommendation, with
the council’s director of
planning and building
control be given the
authority to finalise the
wording of conditions and
resolve an outstanding
consultation with DfI Roads.
The George Best Hotel
was to be the first of three
Signature Living hotels in
Belfast.
Last year the company
pulled the plug on the other
two, placing the former
Crumlin Road Courthouse
and a building on Waring
Street on the market.
Brendan Mulgrew:
Can new executive
deliver? P30
17
IN
WITH
IN ASSOCIATION
ASSOCIATION WITH
Change on way
for Easter pub
hours P31
City council’s planning
committee to determine fate
of controversial Tribeca plan
RYAN McALEER
r.mcaleer@irishnews.com
T
HE future of one of the biggest
ever infrastructure projects
in Belfast city centre will be
determined by the council’s
planning committee this evening.
Planning officials at Belfast City
Council have already recommended
that London-based Castlebrooke Investments be granted outline planning permission for the controversial
Tribeca Belfast scheme, subject to a
number of conditions.
Despite the developer making a series of significant changes to its original bid, the revised proposal has attracted 443 objections.
The project, originally conceived
by the former Department for Social
Development as the ‘Royal Exchange’
project, centres on a series of buildings between Belfast’s Royal Avenue,
North Street and Donegall Street.
Many of the buildings would be demolished under Castlebrooke’s current plans, which represents the third
incarnation of the project.
However, the London firm has said
it will retain a series of facades and
restore the North Street Arcade “in
a new format”. It has also scrapped
plans for a massive underground
car park and significantly downsized
plans for a large retail store. An original bid for a 27-storey tower is gone,
with the largest building in the current
plans 15-storeys.
Castlebrooke has claimed that 600
jobs will be created during construction phase, with the area potentially
housing 1,600 jobs when completed.
A report prepared by city council
planners has revealed that London
investor has already spent £55m.
Castlebrooke estimates that construction costs will come in around £225m,
including £17.5m on public realm
improvements.
But the Ulster Architectural Heritage
has called for the latest proposal to be
rejected.
In a statement, the independent heritage body said: “Whatever the unsubstantiated projections for benefit to
the city in terms of rates this remains
a development primarily about amassing square footage for the developer.
“This application should not be ap-
DIGITALLY RENDERED: How Donegall Street, in Belfast’s city centre, could look if Castlebrooke’s Tribeca project
proceeds to development
proved, and certainly not for the reason that it is being put forward as ‘less
worse’ than the previous outline plan.
Regeneration is long overdue for this
damaged area, blighted as it is by developer land banking, but this type of
masterplanning is not regeneration…
it is simply exploitation.”
The Department for Communities’
Historic Environment Division (HED)
has also said it considers that aspects
of the proposal fail to satisfy planning
policy around built heritage.
Another heritage-led group ‘Save
CQ’, has called for member of the
public to attend tonight’s meeting at
Belfast City Hall.
In a statement, the group said; “We
are aware of several councillors who
in December 2019 were very concerned about many aspects of the proposal, including the type and volume
of housing, the amount of demolition
and serious lack of space for arts and
culture.
“We hope and expect that the committee will have a robust discussion
on Tuesday in advance of making its
decision.”
In its report prepared for the meeting, council officials said Castlebrooke’s plans “are of significant strategic importance to Belfast”.
“The proposals will help deliver a
key site for the city, supporting the
vitality and viability of the city centre, revitalising and regenerating the
area, supporting job creation and the
economy.
The officials recommended the project go ahead, subject to a number of
conditions.
It’s understood that one condition
would involve Castlebrooke developing some form of support employability and skills initiative. It follows the
conclusion of Belfast City Council’s
Economic Development Unit, which
has stated its belief that there would
be skills shortage in implementing the
Tribeca development.