Property developer Lotus Homes has announced plans for a £20m investment in 80 new homes on the site of an old Charles Hurst showroom in Lisburn.
The Banbridge-based firm said it had set the ball rolling on Tuesday by lodging a Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) for the Belfast Road site with Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council.
It added that said the process would bring around 50 construction jobs.
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Martin Tumilty, managing director at Lotus Homes said: “We are pleased to present our plans for much-needed new homes in this area of Lisburn, representing an investment of circa £20m by Lotus Homes.
“This site is conveniently located in close proximity to Hilden Train Station and a number of high quality sports and leisure facilities, making it an ideal location for those seeking a home in this popular area.
“The construction of these new homes will see the creation of circa 50 construction jobs.
“All homes by Lotus Homes are finished to our signature high quality style, and we look forward to showcasing our proposals for Belfast Road to the local community through our pre-application consultation process.”
The company said a drop-in pre-application community consultation event will take place on February 19 from 2pm to 7pm at Lisburn Racquets Club.
Belfast Telegraph revealed in January last year that Charles Hurst was shutting the site – a one-time Vauxhall showroom – with suggestions that it would be sold for residential land for a seven-figure sum.
Speaking at the time, a spokesperson for Charles Hurst said: “Following ongoing reviews within our portfolio, we can confirm that we have taken the decision to close our Lisburn dealership and will be consolidating both the majority of staff and all stock within our expanding Boucher Road Belfast estate where we are continuing to make significant investments.
“The decision means that new and existing customers can look forward to a continued excellent standard of service at our expansive state-of-the-art Belfast site.
“Charles Hurst routinely reviews its portfolio to optimise space so that we can achieve the best results for our dealerships, staff and customers.”
Lisburn is a sought-after area for housing in Northern Ireland. In November, the Belfast Telegraph revealed that Hagan Homes had paid over £7m to acquire a ‘ready to go’ site for new houses outside the city.
Hagan Homes, based in Ballyclare, confirmed it paid over £500,000 per acre for 14 acres at Ballantine Garden Village off Hillhall Road.
Jim Burke, Hagan Homes managing director, said the £7m deal represented “good value”. He said that ahead of the credit crunch of the 2000s, the company had paid “well over £1m” per acre.
The site, which is next to the completed Ballantine development near the M1, went on sale through estate agency Simon Brien Residential in January 2024.