Planners approve car park scheme

Planners approve car park scheme

21 August 2019

PLANNERS are recommending that a proposal for a new car park at the site of the former Down Council headquarters in Downpatrick should proceed, despite objections from residents.

The approval recommendation is due to be discussed by members of Newry, Mourne and Down Council’s Planning Committee at their meeting today.

The site of the former local authority’s base at the Strangford Road is currently being used as an unofficial parking area for bin lorries and other refuse vehicles. Earlier this year, a planning application was submitted to formally designate the area as a car park for council vehicles and staff cars as well.

Concerned residents who live nearby and Downpatrick councillor Dermot Curran expressed opposition to the move, describing the unofficial parking area in front of the remains of the town’s former workhouse as an “eyesore”, highlighting the noise created by heavy refuse vehicles starting up in the morning.

Council officials say they have sold part of the existing Strangford Road site to the Education Authority to pave the way for the development of Down High’s new multi-million pound campus.

They explained that part of the land which has been sold to provide a new main entrance to the school includes an area which is currently used for council staff parking.  

The local authority is seeking planning approval to develop remaining land at the front and side of the old workhouse to provide parking for staff and its fleet of vehicles.

In papers submitted ahead of today’s planning meeting, it is confirmed that 16 homeowners who live close to the Strangford Road site were informed about the car park proposal, with some expressing concern about the impact it will have on property values.

Concern was also raised about vehicle engines starting as early as 6.30am, particularly at weekends, with those opposed to the planning application insisting that commercial vehicles should not be parked close to residential properties.

Outlining their reasons for recommending that the planning application should be approved, planners admit that the car park plan will impact on the remains of the former workhouse which is of special architectural and historic importance.

However, they confirm that the Department of Communities Historic Environment Division accept the parking plan in principle, provided the scheme respects the character of the area, suggesting that “soft landscaping” between banks of spaces with a low wall constructed to the western boundary.

“The site is well established as the former Down Council offices, with a refuse depot to the rear,” the planning papers continue.

“The area has been used for staff parking with this application to formalise the arrangement with staff parking to the front and small vans to be parked at the side. The works proposed will aim to upgrade the existing frontage and use hardstanding to provide a more formalised parking arrangement.”

Planners say the existing land is to be regraded and resurfaced with low walls and have confirmed that external lighting also forms part of the proposal, with the current entrance set to be widened and new gates installed. Hedge planting is also proposed to help screen some of the activities to the rear of the site.

Significantly, the planning papers spell out clearly that the new parking at the front of the site will be laid out for vans and staff vehicles, not refuse vehicles. Planners also insist the application does not represent a change of use to the site.

The papers continue: “The application proposes to relocate staff parking to the site of the formerly demolished council administrative building and use the other side of the car park for some additional fleet vehicle parking, with designated parking spaces marked and circulation routes displayed through the site.

“The proposal will not impact any more significantly in terms of residential amenity as to what is already there at present.”

Planning Committee members will also be told today that as part of the sale of council land at the Strangford Road to the Education Authority that there will be a two-hour daily traffic restriction over the use of the existing main fleet access to the site for local authority vehicles.

Council vehicles will not be permitted to use the entrance between 8.30am and 9.30am and between 2.45pm and 3.45pm, with planners explaining this clause was ed into the contract of sale with the Education Authority on the grounds of child safety to ensure students could not be injured by council vehicles.

In addition, planners say it is anticipated that most council HGVs and bin lorries will be off site by 8.30am, but that a few may not be, requiring the need for an access through the site to the Strangford Road. This access will also be used by vehicles which return to the site between 2.45pm and 3.45pm when the existing fleet entrance will be closed.