Northside Belfast developer misses deadline

The Northside scheme is an area between Royal Avenue and Carrick Hill on the northern edge of the city centre

The developer of a major regeneration scheme in Belfast is to reapply for planning permission after missing a deadline for environmental information.

The Northside scheme is an area between Royal Avenue and Carrick Hill on the northern edge of the city centre.

An outline planning application was submitted in June 2015 and planners then requested more information on environmental impacts.

The deadline for that was not met so the application was "deemed refused."

Northside Regeneration Ltd said "the extent and scope of the information requested required more time than was available within the deadline."

The firm said it will be resubmitting the application and "remains fully committed to the development."

It added that the outline application had been developed following "an extensive preplanning community consultation process."

However it acknowledged concerns that the Sunflower Bar was threatened by the plan and will now start discussions with its owner.

Northside is a partnership between developer Kevin McKay, global construction firm Balfour Beatty and Northern Ireland's Department for Social Development.

Most of the properties in the project area are controlled by Mr McKay and government departments.

The scheme is planned to have a mix of uses including managed student accommodation, private housing, social housing and retail.