A plan to extend the pavement at Belfast city centre’s Adelaide Street for social activities has been approved, despite objections from the Stormont Economy Department.
At this week’s meeting of Belfast council’s planning committee, elected members unanimously approved a temporary two year extension on the pavement “to create additional space for social distancing, to include sheltered structures, seating, planters and elements of incidental play.” The pavement extension will be on space currently used for car parking.
The changes will be made by the council, and will involve seating and planting distributed along almost the full length of the west side of Adelaide Street. Lantern structures at a height of 6.8 metres will be located outside Margarita Plaza, Zen restaurant and the Linen Loft and street furniture is to be placed on the newly extended part of the pavement.
The application was neighbour notified and advertised in the local press, with one objection received from the Department of Economy, who raised concerns over accessibility and loss of amenity.
Green Councillor Aine Groogan said at the committee meeting: “The council has been driving this agenda, in terms of reimagining our city centre and public space over the last year. I know we have all been frustrated at the lack of action when we see what other cities have been able to achieve in terms of building back better, and increasing pedestrianisation and public space.
“I am incredulous to see the Department of Economy’s objection to this - they have the audacity to suggest that this would result in a loss of amenity, and make it less accessible.
“We have over 28 thousand publicly available car parking spaces in our city centre, core and fringe, and that is without looking at the number of public sector organisations with huge car parks in the city centre, as well as the privately-owned car parks.
“To suggest that removing a handful of car parking spaces along a street that already has quite significant waiting restrictions is going to affect business, is questionable to say the least. They have a right to object like anyone else, but I would have to ask whose interests this objection was for, and on what agenda.
“I do not believe taking away ten spaces in any way makes the place more difficult to use, in fact it only improves the space and makes it more liveable and more usable for everyone in the area.”
Statutory bodies from Stormont, the Historic Environment Division, Environmental Health, and Conservation and Heritage were consulted and offered no objections. There remains an outstanding consultation response from DFI Roads, who have indicated no objection in principle, subject to appropriate detailed design drawings, which are currently being reviewed.
The committee also gave planning permission for the installation of six projector units to create an interactive lighting installation along the hoarding of Brunswick Street, again for a temporary period of two years.
The application was also by the council, with a planning report stating the proposal formed "part of a citywide lighting strategy undertaken by Belfast City Council to create more welcoming, vibrant and safer places."
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