A pub and club in Belfast City Centre is to be demolished and replaced with an 11 storey student accommodation block.
At the Belfast City council Planning Committee this week, elected representatives agreed to an application for the erection of a 201-bed purpose-built managed student accommodation scheme and retail unit, at 41-49 Dublin Road and 3-5 Ventry Street, Belfast, BT2. The building will be at the site of the current Filthy McNasty’s pub and club.
The developer, FMN Properties Limited, of Upper Newtownards Road Belfast has also applied to build a replacement pub on Ventry Street.
The estimated construction cost is £7 million. It is expected that 123 construction jobs will be created over the duration of the building period and 23 new full time employment opportunities will be created.
There are two nearby student accommodation buildings which are operational, Botanic Studios at 78-86 Dublin Road and Vita at 27 Bruce Street.
More student blocks are planned for the Dublin Road area, with Queen's University planning to apply for new buildings at the old Movie House cinema site and the Fanum House site.
At the planning meeting, council officers recommended approval for the application to elected representatives, who unanimously agreed. The officer report states: “The proposed development is considered acceptable as the site is located within the city centre, in a sustainable location and the development meets relevant policy and guidance.”
A public information event was held on 11th January 2023 at the Clayton Hotel, Belfast.
The council report states: “(Feedback included comments) that ground floor retail would be better than a public house in terms of noise and general disturbance, and that food retail unit would be welcomed
“(Other comments included that) good management should prevent sectarian flags being flown, (that) red brick would be better than buff, (that) the building lacks character and more variety would be welcome, and that the proposal will help regenerate Dublin Road.”
The report added: “As a result of the feedback, the ground floor unit was changed from a public house to a retail unit, (there was) inclusion of a management plan which addresses anti-social behaviour, and more variety in built form provided.”
A council officer told elected members: “In summary all consultees had no objections except one minor matter with DfI Roads which the agent has confirmed they will provide.
“There were two objections from the adjacent landowner on the previous iteration of the scheme regarding windows on the boundary. The applicant has addressed that and removed the windows and there has been no further representations.”
In the same meeting an application for a new student accommodation block in the Sandy Row area of South Belfast was refused.
Councillors unanimously refused a plan for the redevelopment of an existing surface car park for the erection of a new student accommodation building comprising 354 units on a site bounded by Glenalpin Street, Wellwood Street and Norwood Street, close to Sandy Row.
The council received 166 objections from the public, along with a 271 signature petition. Council officers recommended that the plan be refused as the site was in an “established residential area.”
