Planning permission sought for 40 social and affordable housing units with a mix of one to five bedroom properties plus recreational facilities including a basketball court and parkland

New housing and recreational facilities could be developed on a former cricket club to the south of Belfast if recently submitted plans secure approval.

BW Homes & Construction, supported by Jobling Planning and Environment, has submitted an application to Belfast City Council for development on land at Ashley Park, Areema Grove and Areema Drive, Dunmurry.

The site includes the former Dunmurry Cricket Club and is located to the west of Dunmurry Recreation & Football Club.

Planning permission is sought for the construction of 40 social and affordable housing units on the site, with a mix of one to five bedroom properties.

The plans, designed by Park Hood Chartered Landscape Architects in Belfast, also include community recreational facilities, with a basketball court and parkland proposed.

A planning statement submitted as part of the application stated: "The proposed development has been carefully designed to integrate seamlessly with the surrounding residential and landscape context, while meeting the identified housing needs of the area.

"While the site is zoned for recreational use, it has not served this function for over a decade due to its private ownership and degraded state.

"The proposed scheme delivers substantial community benefits, decisively outweighing the loss of the existing underutilized open space. These benefits include the provision of much needed social and affordable housing, the creation of a high-quality urban park with recreational facilities, and significant biodiversity and environmental enhancements."

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