A Belfast-based housing association has been told it must revise plans to redeveloped the former Visteon factory site in west Belfast…
Fold Housing Association is looking to build 244 homes, a community centre, and a business unit on the site of the former Visteon factory. The plant closed in 2009 and saw more than 200 jobs lost. Sitting on a prominent site next to the M1 motorway, the factory has almost been completely demolished.
Land that is to be redeveloped for employment purposes must include a “significant” economic use element. The planning service said the business unit was currently too small to meet that criteria.
Local residents have objected to the loss of the site that was used previously for employment purposes, arguing that any development should be aimed at bringing jobs back to the area.
Patrick Crossan, from the Campaign For Economic Regeneration Of The Former Visteon Site, said: “From a west Belfast point of view there are 28 other sites which have been identified for social housing, why don’t we use those up first before hitting those that could be used for economic regeneration?”
The housing association is looking into different options for a revised scheme, but said it does not intend to reduce the number of houses in the plans.
However, planners also said planning permission needed to include an agreement to ensure the business units are completed before the houses are occupied.
Property consultants Lisney prepared a report for the housing association, stating the site was “considered unsuitable for the creation of large scale, major employment-generating activities”.
In the report Lisney said the proximity to homes, lack of motorway access, and the cost of clearing the site to ensure it was free of contaminants would be significant. All these factors created a “major barrier to commercial development”.
