A CONTROVERSIAL £500 million proposal to redevelop a significant area in the centre of Belfast will go back in front if the city council’s planning committee on Wednesday after it was held up over housing concerns.
Castlebrooke Developments' Tribeca scheme seeks the demolition and/or redevelopment of buildings between Royal Avenue and the Cathedral Quarter, replacing it with a mixture of offices, retail buildings and residential schemes.
The restoration of North Street Arcade “in a new format” is also included.
But the project continues to raise concerns in heritage and cultural circles, chiefly over the demolition aspect. The application had attracted around 450 letters of objection at the end of July. Another 70 have been received since then.
The revised application for the major scheme was initially approved by Belfast City Council’s planning committee in January 2020.
But a number of procedural issues meant it was reconsidered again on July 28, where the committee agreed to defer the application to seek more information on the proportion of social and affordable housing on the site. It’s also seek clarity over the relocation of a Choice housing facility.
Castlebrooke had initially proposed providing a social housing element and relocating the Choice facility to within 300 metres of the Tribeca site. It has now suggested that it could be built on Academy Street.
Councillors are due to hear an update on talks between the developer, the Housing Executive and Choice on Wednesady,
