Social Housing in Fashoda Street, East Belfast

The proposal was for 13 dwellings (11 terraced and 2 semi-detached properties) and associated parking at the junction of Grove Street East and Fashoda Street in east Belfast. The site had previously been occupied by industrial buildings.

Issues Encountered

• The site was subject to an ‘existing employment’ zoning within dBMAP. Zoned land for Economic Development uses
• Vacant and derelict industrial land
• Need for social housing in East Belfast
• Proposed design and frontages of dwellings sympathetic to adjacent residential sites due to amenity reasons.
• Effect on traffic, access and parking consulted.

Our Involvement

We were the lead agents of the proposal and gained significant support from politicians, stakeholders and neighbours that was necessary to achieve a social housing development on this zoned industrial site. We successfully demonstrated the need for social housing and a surplus of industrial land in this area, which allowed the planning authority to depart from restrictive planning policies and approve this scheme.

We ensured the approval of the application in a timely manner through planning advice in relation to consultee responses as well as enlisting the support of local elected representatives to ensure Belfast City Council, Transport NI, Road Service and NIEA responded as promptly as possible.