Latest - 26/10/07. ESSO SITE - WE HAVEN'T GONE AWAY YA'KNOW ...
It's been some time now since anyone heard anything about the Oval ground move. One wonders is the plan to have us all so fed up and demoralised with the whole venture that we'll take WHATEVER offer is finally put on the table! Well in our opinion Blanchflower is NOT the only option. Aside remaining at the Oval there is still the possibility of the ESSO site across the road!
On 4th May 2005 we wrote ...
"ESSO SITE UPDATE - On Wednesday 3rd May 2005, members of the Rest in East group met for a second time with Andrew Hailey from the Paul Hogarth group. Mr Hailey is the consultant charged with the development of the former ESSO storage facility on Airport Road. As reported, this site has been highlighted, as an option for relocation of the Oval should acreage increase. This further consultation was on a private one-to-one basis in the wake of the recent public meeting at the Park Avenue Hotel. Mr Hailey further discussed the pros and cons of the site with Rest in East. Consultants will move in the near future to create a concept of how the site would look in various forms. As of yesterday no further approaches had been made by the Glentoran project team to meet with the consultants, however as a result of yesterday's meeting Mr Hailey will be seeking contact with Glentoran 'Project Team' Members Stafford Reynolds/Tom Dick.
Three weeks previous to that there was a consultation meeting held at the Park Avenue Hotel Belfast, the debate also focused on a broader East Belfast Project - The Connswater Community Greenway -a major undertaking aimed at utilising the green and open spaces for better community access from way up in the Castlereagh hills right down to Victoria Park. The Connswater Community Greenway is of last week STILL in the running to receive a £23,000,000 grant from the Big Lottery Fund’s Living Landmarks programme ... and the first drawings submitted to the judges incorporated ..... A STADIUM! Glentoran FC were part of that initial consultation process over 2 years ago, as were Rest in East, We were both privvy then to the drawings commisioned by Mr Hailey (pictured below), but we were asked to keep them under wraps ... until now.
LINKS:
Latest - 05/04/07. So where are we after yet another year ... ?
In the absence of little or no information being forthcoming from the club itself we have decided to update the 'Rest in East' website with information ascertained over the last six months. We hope that some of the info will keep you the supporters up to speed.
On October 5th 2006 The Planning Service issued a Consultation Draft in relation to the introduction of Public Safety Zones at major airports. Significantly the Public Safety Zone on the approach to Runway 4 George Best City Airport has been extended, which has major implications for Glentoran Football Club and the proposed relocation of the Club.
The introduction to the Draft can be found here:
As can be seen from the map of the extended PSZ, approximately one third of the Oval is included within the Safety Zone.
It would seem that this now restricts the use of the land in relation to future planning proposals.
For example:
General presumption against development within Public Safety Zones
12. There will be a general presumption against new or replacement development, or changes of use of existing buildings, within Public Safety Zones. In particular, no new or replacement dwelling houses, mobile homes, caravan sites or other residential buildings will be permitted. Nor will new or replacement non-residential development be permitted. Exceptions to this general presumption are set out below in paragraphs 13 and 14.
Development permissible within Public Safety Zones
13. Two types of exception to the general presumption may be permitted within those parts of Public Safety Zones outside any 1 in 10,000 individual risk contours.
First, it is not considered necessary to refuse permission on Public Safety Zone grounds for the following forms of extension or change of use:
- an extension or alteration to a dwelling house which is for the purpose of enlarging or improving the living accommodation for the benefit of the people living in it, such people forming a single household, or which is for the purpose of a ‘granny annex’;
- an extension or alteration to a property (not being a single dwelling house or other residential building) which could not reasonably be expected to increase the number of people working or congregating in or at the property beyond the current level or, if greater, the number authorised by any extant planning permission; and
- a change of use of a building or of land which could not reasonably be expected to increase the number of people living, working or congregating in or at the property or land beyond the current level or, if greater, the number authorised by any extant planning permission.
Second, certain forms of new or replacement development which involve a low density of people living, working or congregating may be appropriate. Examples of these might include:
- long stay and employee car parking (where the minimum stay is expected to be in excess of six hours);
- open storage and certain types of warehouse development. ‘Traditional’ warehousing and storage use, in which a very small number of people are likely to be present within a sizeable site, is acceptable. But more intensive uses, such as distribution centres, sorting depots and retail warehouses, which would be likely to entail significant numbers of people being present on a site, will not be permitted. In granting planning permission for a warehouse, the Department will seek to attach conditions which would prevent the future intensification of the use of the site and limit the number of employees present;
- development of a kind likely to introduce very few or no people on to a site on a regular basis. Examples might include unmanned structures, engineering operations, buildings housing plant or machinery, agricultural buildings and operations, buildings and structures in domestic curtilage incidental to dwelling house use, and buildings for storage purposes ancillary to existing industrial development;
- public open space, in cases where there is a reasonable expectation of low intensity use. Attractions such as childrens’ playgrounds will not be permitted in such locations. Nor will playing fields or sports grounds be permitted within Public Safety Zones, as these are likely to attract significant numbers of people on a regular basis;
- golf courses, but not clubhouses; and
- allotments.
14. Paragraphs 6 to 8 set out the general policy in relation to buildings and land within any 1 in 10,000 individual risk contours. The principal feature of that policy is that people are not expected to live or have their workplaces within such areas. Consequently very few uses will be appropriate within this risk contour. But certain forms of development which involve a very low density of people coming and going may be appropriate within it. Examples of these might include:
- long stay and employee car parking (where the minimum stay is expected to be in excess of six hours);
- built development for the purpose of housing plant or machinery, and which would entail no people on site on a regular basis. Examples might include boiler houses, electricity switching stations or installations associated with the supply or treatment of water; and
- golf courses, but not clubhouses.
This new legislation (although a public consultation draft) has been implemented with immediate effect. “While public views are being sought on these matters, because of the potential risk to the safety of people at these airport locations the Department will as a precautionary measure apply the new planning controls with immediate effect”
There is no doubt that this new development will have implications for anyone purchasing the Oval grounds. As quoted from the document: "The policy will have direct implications for developers and applicants seeking planning permission for development in the Airport Public Safety Zones at the George Best Belfast City Airport and Belfast International Airport."
This planning difficulty is also compounded by the fact that the whole of the Oval Grounds are protected under PPS8 (as delineated in the Bmap which can be purchased from Planning). PPS8 is the Planning Policy which protects areas of existing opens space.
Michael Burroughs Associates (presumably on behalf of Girona Developments) have already lodged a submission with Planning Services to have PPS8 overturned on the Oval Grounds.
and ...
Submissions in relation to the BMap Draft Plan are due to begin this month. The hearing itself could run for several months.
You can track the dates from the hearing at ...
The attempt to overturn the PPS8 protecting the Oval may well not be heard until stage 2 of the proceedings as Stage 1 deals more with the Strategy and not specific cases.
The issue of the re-development of the Blanchflower site has also surfaced again with the next stage due to be placed in the public domain next month. When we have the transcript of the presentation from Belfast City Council once in the public domain we will update the site accordingly.
November 3rd 2005
