The closing of the GP surgery in 2022 caused shockwaves in the community
A plan has been submitted to turn a former GP surgery in West Belfast into a community centre for Relatives for Justice.
The NI Planning Portal shows last month an application has been forwarded to Belfast City Council for the change of use from a doctors’ surgery to a community advice centre and office, as well as a new access door, at 1a Norfolk Parade, Belfast, BT11. The building was the former Glen Road Surgery.
The applicant’s name is Bill Rollston and the agent company is O’Callaghan Planning. The neighbour consultation expiry date is on February 12. There are no neighbour comments yet on the Planning Portal.
READ MORE: Belfast Council to look at creating LGBTQ mural in city centre
READ MORE: Belfast Deputy Lord Mayor calls for Fleadh 2026 permanent legacy monument
The application states that no work has been carried out yet, that it is a permanent application, and that the current four parking spaces on the site will remain the same.
The Crossin and Higgins GP surgery branch on Glen Road closed its Norfolk Parade site in late 2022, consolidating services into their main Carrick Hill Medical Centre in North Belfast.
They said the move was driven by GP shortages, rising workloads, and retirements. The action caused shockwaves in the community and criticism from local politicians, forcing over 3,000 patients to travel for appointments.
Relatives For Justice are a support group formed in 1991 in Dungannon, involved with providing support and working with relatives of people bereaved, injured or affected by the Troubles. The group have offices at 39 Glen Road and 2-4 Brompton Park, Belfast and in Dungannon, County Tyrone. They also operate satellite sessions from community centres across Northern Ireland.
The group offers therapeutic support including accredited trauma counselling, family therapy, complementary therapies like reflexology, and art-based programs, as well as offering welfare and benefits advice, including help with applications. It also provides advocacy and legal work, accompanying families to inquests and hearings. They also run community programs such as creative writing and pottery.
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter