A plan for demolition and redevelopment at the old Belfast Telegraph building has been given another five years — despite the fact that work has yet to start since the original planning permission was granted in 2019.
At the most recent meeting of Belfast City Council’s Planning Committee, elected representatives granted planning permission for another five years for a major development at 124-144 Royal Avenue and 1-29 Little Donegall Street.
The council has an estate in the land, and is joint applicant with BelTel LLP, c/o McAleer and Rushe, of Dungannon Road, Cookstown.
A representative for the developers blamed Covid and its effect on the office market for the five-year delay on the plan, and could not give a definitive date as to when works would begin.
The plan involves the demolition of existing non-listed buildings and the redevelopment of the site with six to eight-storey buildings for an office-led mixed-use development comprising office and industrial floorspace, ground floor retail space, restaurants, cafes and bars, with basement parking.
The proposals include the retention and restoration of the listed Seaver building, comprising façade restoration, a new roof and reintroduction of dormers, replacement windows and the reinstatement of original entrance to the southern façade.
Planning permission was originally granted on February 19 2019.
The recent application sought the renewal of planning permission and was accompanied by a new listed building consent.
None of the relevant statutory bodies objected to the renewal and the council received no third party representations from businesses or members of the public on the application.
The area is characterised by commercial, non-residential uses such as retail, office and the Ulster University buildings. There are two notable listed buildings in the vicinity – the Frames Building and Central Library.
The concept of the scheme is for an integrated redevelopment whereby the listed Seaver Building would be bolstered on both sides by new-build offices and the back of the listed building would be an integral feature of the proposed arcade.
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At the recent Planning Committee meeting at City Hall, Green councillor Áine Groogan asked agents of the applicants if there was any alternative to demolition of the majority of the existing buildings.
The agent said: “The focus on maintaining the original listed building, the previous use and the practicalities of converting that into the current proposed use for offices, and how that has been reworked to be sympathetic in design to the listed building, has had an influence on how that appears.
“Also the need to deliver certain floor plates etc, and also the differences in various iterations of the building does not lend itself to practical reuse for the current use.”
Alliance councillor Tara Brooks asked why the development had not yet begun, and asked when work might begin.
The agent replied: “There was the obvious impact of Covid, which had an impact on all of us, but particularly on the office market. We are hopeful that will change now we are moving past Covid ultimately.
“There remains a good long-term use for the site, and there is confidence returning to the office market. Now that the university campus is still open gives confidence it can be delivered and will come forward.
“There is certainly that intention to do that. I can’t give you a definitive date.
“But certainly allowing this permission to be renewed for a further five years provides a lot of opportunity for it to be delivered (alongside) all those other uses that are happening around it.
“The likes of Belfast Stories potentially coming forward just provides the catalyst for further things happening in this area.”
Alliance councillor Eric Hanvey put it to the agent: “The new university building is one of the most exciting buildings in the city.
“It is just a personal observation, but the (application) building that we are looking at could be any one of two dozen that we have had in front of us over the last two or three years.”
The agent said: “(The planned development) does respond quite well to the immediate context around the site.”
He said it “sits quite sympathetically with the other buildings in the area, and as a contrast as well”.
A planning officer said the council believed the application included “a quality building”.
Elected representatives voted unanimously in favour of approving the renewal of planning permission.