Larne: planning approval for almost 20 new social housing dwellings
Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s Planning Committee has granted permission for new social housing in Larne’s Craigyhill estate.
The proposal by applicant NB Housing is for 14 houses and four apartments on a vacant site at Cairngorm Drive to provide a mixture of “general and complex needs dwellings”, some of which will be wheelchair accessible.
A council planning officer’s report noted the proposed site was occupied previously by three and four-storey blocks of flats which were demolished in September 2012.
The application is for one two-bedroom bungalow (wheelchair accessible); one three bed bungalow (wheelchair accessible); one three-bedroom house (wheelchair accessible); one four-bedroom house (wheelchair accessible), ten two-bedroom houses and four one-bedroom apartments.
The report stated: “The planned apartments are designed to resemble detached houses and their scale and style blend harmoniously with the existing built environment.
“Overall, the new proposal is seen as a significant improvement over the previous, larger flat development that was previously on the site.
“The proposal closely mirrors the density found in the surrounding area with the ratio of built-form to garden space being generally reflective of the area.
“Green space and some tree planting is proposed between the parking along the frontage to provide an attractive and softer frontage to the site.”
The report says the level of amenity space provision is considered “acceptable”. It indicated the 14 dwellings will have two parking spaces each and four on-street parking spaces are proposed for the apartments.
The report noted Department for Infrastructure Roads has advised the level of parking is “sub-standard”. However, the officer stated this is a “highly accessible location and it is considered, on balance, that the level of parking provision is acceptable”.
NI Water has advised sufficient waste water treatment capacity is “not available at present to service the proposed development” and there is “no viable developer-led solution available to achieve a foul connection”.
It was also stated the “public system cannot presently serve this development proposal without significant risk of environmental harm”.
However, it was said the “onus is on the developer to identify and implement a suitable solution and development cannot commence until the method of sewage disposal has been addressed”.
The Housing Executive says the proposed development is located within Larne Town Housing Need Area which has an unmet need of 106 social housing units.
In September of last year, there were 468 applicants on the Housing Executive’s Larne Town Housing Need Area waiting list. Of these, 104 were elderly, 170, families and 194 were singles. A total of 343 were described by the Housing Executive as being in “housing stress”.
Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter