An employment agency at Great Victoria Street in Belfast City Centre is to be renovated and transformed into a “health hub.”
Elected representatives at the Belfast City Council Planning Committee this week approved a proposed change of use from an office to a healthcare hub, with external alterations to the façade of the property and other ancillary site works at Park House, 87-91 Great Victoria Street, Belfast, BT2. The successful applicant is Millar Estates (Park House) N.I. Limited.
Park House is currently home to the employment agency Industrial Temps. The three storey red brick building is opposite Fanum House and the Go Petrol Station. It is on the corner with Wellwood Street, which links Great Victoria Street to Sandy Row.
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The proposed floor plan involves a pharmacy and opticians on the ground floor, with parking spaces to the rear. On the first floor there will be a dentist and a GP surgery, on the second floor there will be another GP surgery and a yoga studio, and a third GP surgery on the third floor.
In May the council approved an 11 storey buy-to-rent apartment block suited to “young professionals” for a site currently used as a car park just behind Park House, at lands bounded by Glenalpin Street, Wellwood Street and Norwood Street, just beside Sandy Row. The DUP did not support this planning application.
Last December at Belfast City Council members unanimously refused a plan at the same site for the erection of a new 11 storey student accommodation building comprising 354 units. Both applications were by Artemis Development Ltd.
There are currently plans to regenerate the Fanum House site opposite for a student accommodation block. They have not yet come before the council’s Planning Committee.
Council officers recommended the Park House application for approval. The Planning report states: “The proposed use is considered acceptable within this sustainable city centre location and in compliance with retail and community infrastructure policies contained with the Local Development Plan strategy.
“The height, scale and massing of the proposed building remain unaltered, the proposal alterations to the façade of the building are considered acceptable within the wider character of the area, which exhibits a variety of building designs.
“The proposal would provide limited dedicated on-site parking to service the proposed building. This is considered acceptable given the highly sustainable location of the site.
“The application proposes to deliver a purpose designed building to meet the needs of medical practitioners and associated pharmacy and opticians.”
The report adds: “Belfast City Council’s City Regeneration and Development team has commented on the proposal and offered support stating that the proposal is likely to be sufficient for the initial stages of delivery of the “City Centre Living Vision.”
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“They expanded by explaining that 8,000 new housing units for the city centre could generate a population of around 16,000 residents and that the provision of GP surgeries suggests one full time GP to cover 1,423 patients. The new proposed city centre housing with up to 16,000 could generate a need for up to 12 additional GPs to meet this need.”
One objection was received by the council from the public regarding the application, raising concerns about the potential for homeless people using the premises and the application increasing drug taking in the area.
The council report states: “There is no indication that the premises are for homeless use, and medical facilities will be open to all. Drug taking in the area is not a material planning consideration.”
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