Decision on proposed housing at Greenisland’s Upper Road deferred for site visit

The development is planned in two phases with four dwellings each on land to the rear of 2-20 Upper Road and 30-52 Upper Road with access via a private laneway.

Principal planning officer Gary McGuinness told councillors there were 34 objections to the proposal. He said the Housing Executive recommended one affordable “housing unit” on the site but the applicant “could not get any housing associations to take on the dwelling”.

The officer went on to say that no development can take place until sewerage issues have been resolved.

Objecting Stephen Kirkpatrick, a neighbour, asked the local government authority committee to consider NI Water’s refusal to support the application. He highlighted concerns over road safety in the area, which he believes, will be increased with an additional eight properties.

He went on to claim that the private laneway will not be adopted. He described bin collections as “absolutely chaotic”.

Developer Ivor Dougan said: “This development is appropriate in terms of building form, scale and density. There is private access. There is a trend for very much smaller developments. ”

Private Laneway

He added that he believes there is no policy regarding the number of dwellings that can access a private laneway and the impact of traffic would be less than at Farm Lodge in Greenisland.

Knockagh Alliance Councillor Aaron Skinner said that there have been “multiple accidents” on Upper Road. He asked why housing associations did not want to take on one of the planned houses.

Mr Dougan indicated he had contacted 22 housing associations during a three-month period and had been told it was “not efficient” for them to do so. “They were just not interested in single houses,” he said.

Bannside Ulster Unionist Cllr Jackson Minford asked about the provision for pedestrians and if a bin lorry is permitted to enter a private road.

Coast Road Sinn Fein Cllr James McKeown asked about the entrance and was advised that it would be widened by a metre.

Mr McGuinness said the council contacted the Northern Ireland Housing Executive to see if there is demand for properties in the area before approaching housing associations. He went on to say he was advised the cost of such a purchase would “not be viable”.

Cllr Skinner proposed rejecting the officer’s recommendation to approve saying there is a “desperate need” for affordable and social housing.

Coast Road DUP Cllr Angela Smyth said: “I would be very nervous about going with that proposal.” She went on to propose accepting the officer’s recommendation.

Larne Lough party colleague Alderman Paul Reid proposed a deferral for a month to enable a site visit. His proposal was seconded by Cllr McKeown and agreed by the committee.

Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter