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Invest NI opposed to DUP MP's re-zoning call

The council's planning committee voted to re-zone a greenfield plot on Dundonald's Comber Road
The council's planning committee voted to re-zone a greenfield plot on Dundonald's Comber Road The council's planning committee voted to re-zone a greenfield plot on Dundonald's Comber Road

INVEST NI has insisted it would never support the re-zoning of land in east Belfast even though "conversations" between its boss and the DUP's Gavin Robinson were used by the MP to argue for building houses on the site.

Lisburn and Castlereagh council's DUP-dominated planning committee last month voted to change the land use designation of a greenfield plot on Dundonald's Comber Road, paving the way for London-based Neptune Developments to build dozens of new homes.

The approval has been blocked by the Department for Infrastructure pending a further examination of the case.

The committee's decision to re-zone the site for residential development went against the recommendation of a council planning official and is contrary to at least four key planning policies.

Ahead of last month's planning hearing Mr Robinson wrote two letters to Lisburn and Castlereagh Council in support of the developer's application to change the site designation, along with a third urging a speedy resolution to the process.

In a letter written in August to the council, the East Belfast MP reinforces his case for re-zoning by citing "conversations with Invest NI chief executive Alastair Hamilton".

He claims he was told by Mr Hamilton that Invest NI had no record of any interest in the site for industrial purposes.

Invest NI confirmed to The Irish News that it has no record of interest but added: "It is no surprise, that since we do not own the land, that we have no record of any interest in the site for industrial purposes."

Invest NI further said Mr Robinson was informed that the agency is required to protect land zoned for industrial use.

"As such we would not be supportive of the loss of such a zoning to an alternative non-employment based use," an Invest NI statement said.

"In a follow up conversation Mr Robinson presented his view that the strategic vision for the site had changed."