Car dealership objects to new complex plans at Adelaide Business Centre
A new family entertainment leisure complex has been approved at a business park in South Belfast despite being opposed robustly by a neighbouring business over a number of issues including parking.
Elected representatives at the January meeting of the Belfast City Council Planning Committee approved for the second time an application for change of use from office space and storage at Adelaide Business Centre, 2-6 Apollo Road, Belfast, BT12.
The application was returned to the Planning Committee this week due to procedure resulting from objections from Agnew’s Trade Centre, a used car dealership beside the development site. Representatives from Agnews argue the plan will block access to their business on their own site.
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The site will be developed into a leisure complex with bowling alleys, a restaurant, an indoor golf course, a children’s soft play area, a VR zone, amusements and on-site parking. The applicant is Paddy Simpson, the Barley Fields, Derry.
The application was originally approved by the committee last August. The site is currently occupied by a large single storey warehouse building comprising a mix of offices and storage and distribution uses.
The proposal will reconfigure the existing car park to provide 151 spaces, including 12 disabled spaces, which will surround the building. The plan was changed from 181 to 151 spaces to accommodate neighbouring objections.
Council planning officers recommended the application for approval on both occasions. There were no objections from any of the statutory consultees, except for Northern Ireland Water, who recommended refusal due to sewage network capacity issues.
The application last summer was approved just before late objections on August 21 and September 26, which were sent to the council on behalf of Agnew’s Trade Centre, a used car dealership which operates to the rear of the site at Units 2- 6 of the Apollo Space Building.
Agnew have raised issues related to road safety, conflicts with an existing right of way, parking, access, contaminated land and the community consultation for the application. They issued similar objections in November and in January this year.
Agnew’s Trade Centre also has a current application to the rear of this site for change of use from indoor sports and recreation, and storage and distribution, to light industrial use.
The council planning report on the leisure complex application states: “Following the three late objections the applicant submitted amended plans which removed seven car parking spaces to allow sufficient access within the right of way for transporters to access the Agnews Trade Centre.
“This has been demonstrated through a swept path analysis. DFI Roads were consulted and remained to have no objections.”
It adds: “Officers met with representatives of Agnew’s Trade Centre on site and observed how transporters use the right of way. Officers concluded that there is a potential conflict with users of the facility having to cross the right of way used by transporters to access the entrance to the building.”
It states: “Officers requested amendments and the applicant has subsequently removed any parking spaces which would result in users having to cross the right of way.”
Planning officers concluded in the report: “Officers are satisfied that the objections have been adequately addressed. The proposal will not impact access to the Agnew Trade Centre to the rear, nor will the proposal have an impact on road safety or the safety of users of the site. There is considered to be a sufficient level of car parking within the site.”
At the Planning Committee meeting at City Hall this week, a representative for Agnews told the chamber that “five key facts to the issues of parking and incompatibility of use were misrepresented in the case officer’s report.”
She said council officers “failed to detail the extent of Agnew’s right of way” and added “there is a clear issue related to the applicant’s ability to deliver at least 52 percent of its parking spaces.”
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