Green light for new Crusaders Stand, rejuvenation of the Mount, and start to Forth Meadow greenway

At this week’s meeting of the council’s Planning Committee, elected members green lighted a replacement stand of 1246 seats, at Seaview.

The plan also includes new parking provision, changing rooms and associated required football rooms, offices on upper floors, new vehicle access off Shore Road and the relocation of one floodlight.

The new stand will have the same capacity as the existing structure. Councillor Billy Hutchinson said he supported the application but said the lack of capacity increase was “a missed opportunity.”

He added: “Anybody that knows that area knows it is hard to park any day never mind a match day.” He said: “We have to take into consideration people who live there.”

The council officer said the Department for Infrastructure Roads Division had no objection to the application, and traffic was not expected to significantly increase as capacity would not change.

The Mount application will involve the renovation of listed buildings, no’s 34-36 The Mount, off Albertbridge Road, and their conversion to apartments, as well as the transformation of derelict land to the rear.

This area will see further residential development comprising seven townhouses and 34 apartments with associated landscaping, parking and site works.

A council report on the application states: “The site will result in 41 new homes and is acceptable in terms of density, design, private and shared amenity provision, highway safety, parking and flooding. It is concluded that the scheme will bring a positive benefit to the site and locality, given the site has been vacant for many years and the listed buildings are in a state of disrepair.”

The committee agreed unanimously on the recommendation. Councillor John Hussey, chair of the Planning Committee, said he wished to commend the applicant on the “excellent design” of the proposal. There were no objections from any statutory bodies.

The committee also approved the first part of the Forth Meadow Community Greenway project in North and West Belfast.

Section One proposes new footpaths, path widening and resurfacing, a new park entrance and new wayfinding signage and street furniture at the boundaries of Glencairn Park, Forthriver Road and Forthriver Crescent.

The £3.1 million project aims to connect sites with high quality pathways along a 12 km route from Glencairn to Bog Meadows, with enhancements to a number of sites along the route, including Springfield dam and park. The plan is to eventually connect the greenway to the city centre.

The greenway is funded by the EU’s PEACE IV Programme, and is intended to be a physical representation of the peace process in Belfast and to promote reconciliation between interface communities.

Michael Kenwood , Local Democracy Reporting Service

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