BOUCHER ROAD, BELFAST
Unit 1 Lesley Retail Park, 34 Boucher Road, Belfast
Proposed Variation of Condition 04 of Planning Permission Z/96/0985 to allow for the sale of mixed convenience and comparison goods at Unit 1 Lesley Retail Park, 34 Boucher Road, Belfast.
Welcome
RJS Properties own Lesley Retail Park. This Community Consultation relates to a proposal to reuse Unit 1 of Lesley Retail Park for the sale of mixed convenience and comparison goods and other ancillary site works and we would welcome your views on this proposal.
The Site Location
Lesley Retail Park was constructed in 1998 with previous occupiers being Starplan Furniture Limited and XCAT The Clearance Company Limited.
Lesley Retail Park is located on the east side of Boucher Road about 900m south of its junction with Tates Avenue. It is about 1.8km south of the Belfast City Centre boundary as defined in the Belfast Urban Area Plan (BUAP) and the draft Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan (dBMAP). It is about 1,200m from Broadway roundabout which provides access to the M1 Motorway/Westlink.
It is easily accessible by public transport being 280m north of a bus stop at Boucher Crescent. It is also about 952m from Adelaide railway halt on the Belfast – Dublin railway line which is accessed via Apollo Road.
The Site
Lesley Retail Park is a small retail park located in the middle of Boucher Road half way between Tates Avenue and Stockmans Lane. Lesley Retail Park is the three grey block clad retail warehouse units stepped back from the road.
Access to the site is from Boucher Road. Surface level car parking is provided on site with 140 spaces available for customers. There is a service yard to the rear of the retail park with staff parking spaces.
The development is bounded to the north, south and east by palisade fencing. The western boundary to Boucher Road is denoted a landscape strip and the rear of the footpath. The units are set 48m back from the road behind surface level parking spaces.
Planning History
The site has a previous planning permission for three retail warehouse units that was approved in January 1997 under application reference Z/1996/0787/F. A subsequent application (which was constructed) (ref. Z/1996/0985/F) was approved in February 1997 and provided 3 retail warehouse units.
Unit 1 benefits from a CLUD for the erection of an internal partition wall to subdivide it into two units (ref. Z/2013/0397/LDP) and for the erection of mezzanine floor inside retail unit 1 (ref. LA04/2016/2413/LDP and an application for new glazing to front elevation was granted in December 2005 under application reference Z/2005/2148/F.
The Proposed Development and End User
It is proposed that Unit 1 will be occupied by a retailer providing a mix of food and non food goods. No increase in the size of the building or the site is proposed. The existing car parking and access to the site will remain unaltered. Minor site works may be required to elevations and car park and servicing layouts.
The proposal is currently in draft form – all feedback is welcomed and will be given careful consideration by the applicant and design team before the proposal is finalised and a planning application is submitted.
Planning Policy
The site is zoned for industry and commerce use in the Belfast Urban Area Plan and is unzoned in Draft Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan. The site has a history of planning permissions granted for retail development. The application will be accompanied by technical reports demonstrating compliance of the proposal with the Local Development Plan for the area and retail and roads policy as set out in the Strategic Planning Policy Statement and Planning Policy Statement 3 dealing with roads considerations. Pre application discussions have taken place and any other technical matters will be addressed during the course of the application.
Economic Benefits
The proposal will provide economic benefits by:
- sustaining about 15 construction jobs;
- providing 20 new retail jobs;
- introducing a new retailer into the area providing keenly priced food and non food goods;
- broadening competition amongst retailers;
- increasing rates revenue for Belfast City Council;
- generating salaries that will be spent in the local area.
Get in touch
If you would like to discuss this proposal, please call a member of our team on 028 25663404
Alternatively, you send comments to us by post or e-mail:
write to us at: RJS Properties, 7 Corbally Road, Ballymena, BT 42 1JQ
e-mail us at: property@galgormgroup.com
Deadline for comments is Friday 17th February 2023.
Please note that this information/notice does not relate to a planning application. Comments should not be made to Belfast City Council. Any comments made to the prospective applicant are not representations to the planning authority. If a planning application is subsequently submitted to Belfast Council, normal neighbour notification and publicity will be undertaken at that time and you will have the opportunity to make formal representation regarding the proposal at that time.
