PLANNING officials in Belfast have given their backing for a bid to redevelop the site of the former Delaney’s restaurant in the city centre.
Marmont Properties is proposing to demolish 19-27 Lombard Street and build a new five storey building.
The unit on the corner of Lombard Street and Rosemary Street, which has stood for more than a century, has been occupied by Café Nerro for more the past decade.
But it’s best known for being the location of Delaney’s, synonymous for many years with the city centre shopping experience in Belfast. Delaney's closed in 2011.
Subject to the backing of Belfast City Council’s planning committee on Tuesday, the demolition of the existing single storey building will clear that way for a new street level café/restaurant, with a dozen apartments in the four floors above.
Eight of the units will have just one bedroom, with four two bedroom apartments. Each unit will also have its own balcony.
The report due to be considered by the committee reveals that the council’s conservation officer expressed some reservations over the loss of the building.
It states the officer advised “that the existing building makes a material contribution to the city centre conservation area through its historically inspired shop front, internal cast iron columns and beams dating back to 1910, along with its historic/cultural interest associated with the former Delaney’s restaurant.”
But the report said the officer accepted the replacement building offers “an enhancement” for the area.
Planning officers concluded the existing building “does not make a positive contribution to the character and appearance of the city centre conservation area as a whole”, especially given the taller characteristics of the neighbouring buildings.
Planning officials also appeared to overrule the objections of NI Water on the ground of insufficient capacity at the local wastewater treatment plant and insufficient network capacity.
Planners said the objection is based on “a significant number of extant and un-implemented planning permissions across the city for housing, commercial and other uses including over 20,000 new homes”.
The report adds: “Given NI Water’s duty to connect to those developments and that it has not provided detailed evidence to support its objection to this particular application, it would be unreasonable for the council to refuse planning permission on these grounds.”
