All the non-unionist parties pushed a decision through based on official’s advice at City Hall

The DUP has failed to stop a new short-term let apartment block in East Belfast getting approval, despite locals stating the development is “not wanted by the community.”

Elected representatives at the February meeting of the Belfast City Council Planning Committee on a majority vote approved an application for the erection of a four-storey building to create 29 short-term let accommodation units at 341-345 Albertbridge Road, Belfast, BT5. The developer is ALMCC (NI) Limited, Shore Road, Holywood.

A vote on a DUP proposal to refuse the application saw seven votes in favour from the DUP and the UUP and 12 against from the other parties, and so it was approved.

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The application received 37 objections since it first went to the council last December. Despite this none of the relevant statutory bodies objected and the council’s Planning team recommended the application for approval.

In a council report, officers said the most recent objections state “the proposal is not wanted by the community” and it “would be better used for family housing to meet local needs, or for business premises benefiting local people.” The report states objectors raised “concerns about people coming and going, and not knowing who they are,” as well as concerns about community safety, overshadowing and loss of privacy.

The site at 341-345 Albertbridge Road was formerly the Beijing Restaurant, which has since been demolished, leaving the site vacant. The surrounding area is predominately a mix of commercial and residential uses, with homes immediately opposite. Connswater Retail Park is located to the rear of the site.

Short-term let accommodation refers to renting out a property or room for a short period, from one night to a few weeks or months, rather than for a permanent residence. Platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo list these types of rentals, which offer visitors more choice and a different experience from traditional hotels.

Despite the growing public mood against the proliferation of short-term let accommodation, developers who have had their applications refused at the council’s Planning Committee are increasingly appealing the decisions, with significant levels of success. As a result council officers are advising councillors to show rigorous policy-related and legal reasoning when objecting to applications they have recommended for approval.

Regarding the Albertbridge Road application, Planning officers said in a report: “Whilst community safety can be a material planning consideration, there is no evidence to suggest that the proposal would result in significant harm to the public interest in this respect that would override normal planning policy considerations.”

In another report the Planning officer states: “(The application) is not considered to impact negatively on existing residential amenity. It will strengthen and diversify short term let accommodation, is located close to public transport and within walking distance of a tourist attraction. Appropriate management arrangements will be secured via a planning condition.”

At the February meeting of the council’s Planning Committee, DUP Councillor Ruth Brooks said: “I don’t think this proposal aligns with the intent of the Belfast Local Development Plan, and in particular its housing policies. I have read through this report, and some of the conclusions reached under Policy HOU13, specifically the assertion that this site sits within an existing tourism cluster, is a considerable stretch of the imagination.

“The Oval, home to Glentoran Football Club is a periodic match-day venue. Organised tours operate on an enquiry-led basis and are very infrequent. There are no fixed tour dates, no structured daily programme, and no sustained tourism schedule.”

She added: “Mentioned within this report are EastSide Visitor Centre, CS Lewis Square and Templemore Baths Heritage Experience. These are important civic and heritage assets, but they primarily function as a daytime attraction within a wider city tourism offer. Visitors may spend part of the day in East Belfast as part of a broader itinerary, but overnight accommodation demand remains concentrated within the city centre.”

She said: “The history of this site is highly relevant. The Housing Executive had previously indicated there would be a residential development. That proposal failed not because the site was unsuitable for housing, but because the design did not meet the standards.

“East Belfast is not flush with land. We have to look at the land that we have and use it for housing.”

DUP Alderman Dean McCullough said: “If you drive up the Newtownards Road, you will see the limitations on land, when you compare that with the waiting lists for families who are languishing on them. It is critical that social housing is maximised in established working class communities, where people are in clear housing stress.”

He added: “I would be confident, and I don’t think anyone around this table would disagree with me, that if you knocked on doors in the surrounding area and asked people, their views would be pretty clear.” He said it was “clear there was a cohesion issue” and that “the community had made that clear through all the available avenues they have.”

A council officer replied: “Within our current development plan, that land isn’t zoned for housing. We have the incoming Local Policies Plan which will be zoning housing land to ensure we meet the aspirations of the Belfast Agenda.

“There will be a clear vehicle for people to make representations on land that they think will be appropriate. But at the moment this land is not zoned, and it would be premature for us to retain the land, or refuse planning permission on the basis that it could potentially come forward as housing land.”

She added: “In terms of community cohesion, and what are material considerations, we often have things that are absolute priorities for communities, but they don’t necessarily fall into material considerations for Planning. It hasn’t been demonstrated through any of the representations or any other evidence we have that bringing forward this proposal would impact the community in a negative way.

“I understand that community planning and engagement is really important. This was not a major application that would involve pre-community consultation. It is a local application that has been brought to the committee, and called in due to the objections and concerns. It is not our view that it would have the potential to have any significant impact on cohesion.”

Sinn Féin Councillor Ryan Murphy, and committee Chair, said at the meeting: “We need to be careful, in relation to planning appeals that have been made on the determination lists, that we are not willingly refusing something on the same grounds, for it to go to appeal and then be overturned for the same reasons.

“We are finding ourselves in a position where we have a disagreement between what our view is of a tourist cluster in comparison to what the Planning Appeals Commission say.”

An array of Belfast councillors from a variety of political parties have warned that communities all over the city could soon face a housing crisis caused by short-term lets, similar to the crisis caused by HMOs in areas such as the Holylands.

Last September, at a meeting of the council’s Licensing Committee, councillors and a council officer made reference to allegations that Tourism NI were certifying properties as short-term lets before they had planning permission, with one councillor stating short term lets were the “wild west” of the housing sector.

At the City Hall Planning Committee meeting last month, another controversial application, for a short term let accommodation in a 200 year old listed building close to the city centre, was withdrawn from the agenda without explanation.

The month before the application for the “retrospective change of use” from residential to short-term let accommodation at 39 Hamilton Street, in the Market area off Cromac Street, was deferred for a site visit. The building at the site has been operating as an AirBnB style short term accommodation without permission for almost two years, to the consternation of local residents and even local elected representatives. The Hamilton Street property consists of a three-bedroom, three-storey brick-built property, and is a Grade B2 listed building located within the Linen Conservation Area.

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Daniel Daniels, 28, had been released on licence from HMP Berwyn in Wrexham part way through a three-year sentence he was given at Bolton Crown Court in May 2024.

According to the Prisons and Probation Service Ombudsman he died on Saturday January 10 this year.

Daniels had been jailed after pleading guilty to dangerous driving, obstructing the police, driving without a licence, driving without insurance and failure to stop when ordered by police.

He also confessed to failing to provide a specimen for analysis.

Daniel Daniels was sentenced at Bolton Crown Court (Image: Anthony Moss)

During the sentencing hearing back in May 2024 Tanya Elahi, defending, said: “Upon his release from prison he will be motivated to change his ways while he is still young.”

Ms Elahi told the court Daniels was “deeply ashamed and remorseful” and that start the police chase that led to his driving offences was a “stupid moment”.

Recorder Alexandra Simmonds had taken Daniels’s remorse and guilty plea into account but reminded him he had driven through a “populated area, with pedestrians and children”.

Daniels, formerly of Crummock Grove, Farnworth, was on licence at the time and at his last sentencing the court heard he had seven previous convictions for 17 offences.

In February 2022 he had been jailed for 19 months after admitting to assault, affray and possessing a knife after an assault on his ex-partner.

Explaining how it carries out investigations, a statement on the ombudsman’s website said: “After we have been told about a death in custody, we will put a named investigator in charge of the investigation.

“They will find out as much as possible about what happened to the person before their death.

“This includes looking at all the relevant records and policies, together with interviews with relevant staff and prisoners or residents if required. 

“NHS England will also commission an independent clinical review of the healthcare given to the person before their death.

“At the end of the investigation we’ll share what we have found with the family and related organisations.”

The Prison and Probation Service’s investigation is currently ongoing.

The United States‘ stand-off with Iran is feared to be close to breaking out into a full-scale war in the Middle East.

A military operation could last several weeks and have a powerful impact on the region, sources have told Axios. 

It comes as tensions continue to grow between the US and Iran, after the two countries held indirect nuclear talks in Geneva on Tuesday. 

Before the talks, Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One: “I don’t think they want the consequences of not making a deal.” 

A Trump adviser told Axios: “The boss is getting fed up. Some people around him warn him against going to war with Iran, but I think there is 90 per cent chance we see kinetic action in the next few weeks.” 

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The Trump administration threatened to take fresh military action against Iran in January over its nuclear programme and demanded that it make a deal with the US.

It followed Israel’s 12-day war with Iran in June, in which the US bombed the country’s nuclear sites. 

Last month, President Trump said a “massive armada” was on the way and urged the regime to stop the killing of thousands of protesters.

Sources told Axios that a military operation would likely be much bigger than the US and Israel’s attack last year, and would have massive implications for the remainder of President Trump’s leadership. 

The US has built up a large military presence in the region, which includes two aircraft carriers, a dozen warships, hundreds of fighter jets and multiple air defence systems. 

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The large military build-up will likely mean the president won’t withdraw from the region until Iran makes major concessions on its nuclear programme.

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, threatened to sink any American aircraft carriers sent to the Middle East.

Two Israeli officials said Israel’s government was preparing for a scenario of war within days, Axios said. However, US sources said the Trump administration may need longer.  

Officials told Reuters the US military was getting ready for weeks-long operations in case President Trump ordered an attack. 

US troops withdrew from bases in Syria last week, possibly indicating its military was gearing up to prepare for an Iranian response to an attack. 

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It comes as Mr Trump criticised Sir Keir Starmer for his Chagos Islands deal on Wednesday, saying that if Iran did not strike a deal with the US, it may need to use Diego Garcia island, where a US-UK military base sits. 

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi began negotiations on Tuesday in Geneva. 

Officials stated Iran would have to come back with a detailed proposal for the US in two weeks. 

Mr Araghchi said the two countries had reached an understanding on “guiding principles” and that a path to agreement had begun. 

But Ayatollah Khamenei later warned President Trump that “the strongest army in the world can sometimes be slapped so hard it cannot get up”, according to Iranian media.

Rebecca Layton, spokesperson for Hospitality Association York (HAY), said proposals for a visitor levy come as businesses face difficult trading conditions while trying to appeal to price-conscious consumers.

The spokesperson added if charges put potential visitors off it would mean fewer shifts and jobs in an industry which tends to employ people at the start of their careers.

It comes after Labour Mayor David Skaith said he was focussed on getting any potential future charges right after speaking with more than 100 York and North Yorkshire businesses.

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The mayor said the tourism industry was a local success story but it put pressure on services.

He added a visitor levy would drive investment into communities and bring in cash which could be used to support hospitality businesses.

Research from the York and North Yorkshire Policy Lab, which was set up by the combined authority and York St John University, found £2-a-night charges could raise £52 million-a-year.

The mayor’s talks with hospitality businesses comes as a national consultation into visitor levies, also dubbed tourist taxes, closed on Wednesday, February 18.

Further work is set to be done on how the charges would be implemented in York and North Yorkshire, including whether to exempt residents from them.

Labour York and North Yorkshire Mayor David Skaith talking to Harrogate businesses about his plans for a visitor levy. Picture is from York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority

York Council’s Labour administration has been among those calling for local authorities to get powers to levy the charges, saying it could help fund services including for tourists and businesses.

But York hotels and the HAY industry body have said extra fees could put visitors off and warned of the knock-on effects on the wider local economy.

HAY spokesperson Ms Layton said hotels already supported local areas with jobs and investment and it was unknown how taking profits away from them would help the region.

She added although they were told up to a quarter of funds raised could be spent on benefits for hospitality and tourism, the rest could be lost plugging budget gaps.

The spokesperson said: “Hoteliers remain deeply concerned about the impact of further costs, tourism tax supporters often cite that similar tourism levies are commonplace in other overseas destinations, however this does not consider the fact those countries pay an average of 10 per cent VAT on hospitality, compared to 20 per cent in the UK.

“Furthermore, data highlights that of the 32 million tourists to York and North Yorkshire, only 6.1 million stay overnight, meaning less than 20 per cent of tourists are to be targeted for this tourist tax.

“This means 80 per cent of tourists will not be paying this tax back into the local economy, and further emphasises hospitality is being unfairly penalised.

“Whilst the City of York Council may have been able to garner some support from York’s residents, the campaign for a tourism levy has little to no support in North Yorkshire, who overwhelmingly feel that the idea of doing anything to deter tourism is outrageous.

“This tax will also be a further cost for businesses, the wider events sector will also be affected.”

Mr Skaith said he would make sure he prioritised the places and services that feel the most pressure without costing residents if the charges are brought in.

The mayor said: “A visitor levy could be a total game changer for our region, it’s an opportunity to drive investment into our communities, and back businesses in our tourism and hospitality sectors with the support we all know we need, but nobody has the money for right now.

“We must get this right for our region and that’s what I’m focussed on as we go through this process.”

Jake Joe Bamber, 35, also denied causing actual bodily harm to the same woman on a different occasion.

Bamber, of no fixed address, was making his first appearance before a crown court judge at Leeds Crown Court.

He was arrested in January this year in York.

The Recorder of Leeds, Judge Guy Kearl KC adjourned his case until April 8, and Bamber was remanded in custody until then. A trial date has yet to be set.

The non-fatal suffocation is alleged to have occurred between June 1, 2025, and September 30, 2025, and the incident that allegedly resulted in actual bodily harm on November 25 last year.

Joshua Cooper, 25, died from cocaine-related complications after being handcuffed by police

A young dad died shortly after being handcuffed by police during a “street disturbance” in North Staffordshire, an inquest has heard.

Joshua Cooper, 25, from Biddulph, was reportedly under the influence of cocaine when he began acting erratically on Lawton Street before wandering into the home of an elderly woman on nearby Kingswood Road on the evening of March 26 last year.

Officers arriving at the scene found Joshua “under a pile of bricks” and resisting arrest, growling as he struggled. Witnesses said he fell to his knees in a praying position and collapsed minutes later, reports StokeonTrentLive.

PC Lawton, one of the responding officers, told the inquest: “I tried to assist him to his feet holding his right arm, but he was very heavy. He fell to his knees and began throwing his upper body back and forth. I placed him into handcuffs using minimal force to prevent him from harming himself, others, or my colleagues.”

Emergency services were called immediately, and handcuffs were removed when Joshua was reported to be turning blue so CPR could be administered.

An investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct concluded the officers acted appropriately and in line with policy.

Joshua’s partner revealed he had been struggling with a long-term cocaine addiction, which had worsened in the months before his death. She said he had been aggressive and erratic on the night of the incident.

Forensic pathologist Dr Brett Lockyer confirmed that Joshua died from cocaine intoxication and coronary artery disease, with underlying heart issues likely linked to his substance use.

Coroner Emma Serrano ruled Joshua’s death as drug-related, offering her condolences to the family. She said: “It’s quite clear to me that Josh suffered with an addiction. During his encounter with officers, he entered cardiac arrest. If he had not taken cocaine that night, he would not have passed away.”

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The star’s sibling, with whom she shares a podcast, shared a telling video on Instagram tonight.

Katie Price‘s sister Sophie has shared a video in the wake of her famous sibling’s announcement that she intends to have a baby with her fourth husband Lee Andrews. It comes in the wake of a whirlwind engagement and marriage with the Dubai businessman which has seen her fly out of the UK to be with him.

She shared a clip of Dr Gabor Maté talking about the various approaches that families can make in difficult times and concludes with him explaining the second, saying: “I’m not going to try and change you. I just hope you come to your senses at some point. But I’ll be with you and I’ll be supporting you.”

It comes after Katie posted a message to Lee’s ex Alana Percival where she said: “Please just enjoy watching us build our empire as I’m having his child, I’ll enjoy the ride and big d*** energy now I’m in the saddle.” Alana responded by resharing one of her earlier posts that read: “Catching flights not fiances.”

The Dr Gabor video shared by Sophie tonight showed him speaking in a black and white clip. He explained: “So there’s two major things I say to families. One is: you have a decision to make. There’s two rational choices and one irrational one. The rational choices: number one, what you’re doing causes me so much pain and so much stress I can’t be with it.

“I love you very much but this is too hard one me and I’m not willing to expend my energies trying to self care for all the stress that’s been caused from you by your behaviour so I can’t be with you. That’s a perfectly rational choice.

“Or you can say: I love you very much and I understand that what you are doing, whatever it is, comes out of your pain. This is the only way so far you’ve found to deal with your pain so I’m not going to judge you, I’m not going to control you.

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“I’m not going to try and change you. I just hope you come to your senses at some point. But I’ll be with you and I’ll be supporting you.”

Sophie, who hosts The Katie Price Show podcast with her sister, has not weighed in publicly on the latest drama around her sister, who had a whirlwind engagement and marriage to Lee.

However, she has hinted at being tired out by it all, appearing in a video posted on Instagram in the wake of the ‘quickie’ wedding. She said: “Hello, how are we all?” She sighed, leaned in to the camera and added: “Oh it has been a long old week. Yeah, it’s been a very long week, very tired. Looking forward to the weekend.”

In a heartwarming video posted to social media, Joel shared that his son spilled the beans on Ben Shephard’s secret Masked Singer identity

This year’s series of The Masked Singer has featured some pretty impressive names including The One Show’s Alex Jones, JLS’ Marvin Humes, Harry Hill and Sugababes singer Keisha Buchanan who won the series as Moth. The appeal of the show lies with the fact that nobody knows who is under the mask, however it appears that one of this year’s contestants slipped up and shared their identity.

It appears that This Morning’s Ben Shephard, who finished in second place, told one individual that he was Conkers. The presenter shared his secret with the son of The Masked Singer’s host Joel Dommett.

In a heartwarming video posted to social media, Joel shared that his son spilled the beans on Ben’s secret identity.

He captioned the video: “Don’t tell a 2 year old secrets.”For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter

In the short clip you can hear Joel’s son say: “Ben Shephard is conker.”

Joel laughed and replied: “Don’t tell anybody else ok.”

Ben jokingly responded in the comments: “I told him in secret I promise.”

Masked Singer judge Davina McCall added: “This is quite simply the cutest thing I have ever seen.”

After the final had aired, Joel posted some pictures with the This Morning presenter, saying: “Before vs after…

“What a final!!! My pal @benshephardofficial JUST missed out on the win but tbf absolutely nobody thought he would get passed episode 2.

“Rightfully won by the incredible @keishabuchanan.”

You can catch up on The Masked Singer on ITV X.

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Puppet comedy No Strings Attached has reportedly been axed after one series was broadcast

A Channel 4 comedy branded “profoundly silly” has reportedly been axed following just one series.

No Strings Attached – presented by former Bake Off host Mel Giedroyc – featured celebrity guests reading out risqué fan fiction whilst puppets performed the scenes. The programme broadcast its debut series last year but struggled to impress some critics, with the Irish Independent describing it as “shockingly bad” in its review.

TVZone has now reported that the show is understood not to be returning for a second series on Channel 4.

The programme was initially announced in 2022 under the working title The Really Rude Puppet Show. Following delays, it eventually premiered on E4 in 2025, rebranded as No Strings Attached.

The format, which featured stars such as Kerry Katona and Sam Thompson, involved famous faces narrating saucy tales about their fictional romantic encounters, whilst puppets performed elements of the scenarios being recounted, reports the Mirror.

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Fans had a mixed response, with some viewers taking to X (formerly Twitter) to praise it as “good fun”, “very funny” and “hilarious”. One viewer said the puppets “had me in stitches” whilst another declared: “I LOVED IT.”

Others were less enthusiastic, however, with one audience member branding it “a disappointment”. Another remarked that it was “as unfunny as it is redundant”.

Critics were similarly harsh, with the Irish Independent’s piece stating: “Channel 4’s celebrity puppet sex show isn’t shocking – it’s just shockingly bad.”

The Guardian awarded it a mere two out of five stars, albeit acknowledging that “the presence of Giedroyc makes any kind of chat/quiz/contest caper watchable”.

“To demonstrate this beyond dispute, E4 has come up with No Strings Attached, a profoundly silly piece of flim-flam that is objectively awful, and with any other presenter would be unbearable,” stated the review.

Channel 4 has been approached for comment.

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No Strings Attached can be streamed on Channel 4.