“People are still living in Stephen Street, Kent Street, and on Carrick Hill. The families waiting for homes are sitting on the outside, looking in on a development they are never going to have.”
Belfast Council has voted to refuse an application to build what would have been Northern Ireland’s largest student accommodation block, after protest from local North Belfast residents.
The proposal to reject the planning application was made by Sinn Féin, with an amendment from the Green Party. On a recorded vote the proposal won by seven votes for to four votes against, with the DUP not supporting the proposal.The decision however has yet to be finalised, as the proposal was deferred for the City Solicitor to draft refusal reasons to make the proposal legally tight, and to get further details on an assessment from the Stormont Historical Environment Division.
Carál Ní Chuilín said: “If this is granted, it will mean well over 8,000 student bed placements in that area. I am from the area, it is part of Carrick Hill, it is not a separate area. People live on Union Street. “We are not anti-regeneration, in fact we have been arguing for regeneration for a long time, but we are talking about buildings that are sympathetic to buildings already there. I am thinking of the 3,000 people living in housing stress.”
“I have heard it time and time again, city centre, city centre - it’s not the city centre, it’s Carrick Hill. It’s been Carrick Hill since the 1700’s.” He said a recent survey had shown 1,500 people opposed to the sites planned for student accommodation in the area, which he said were “destroying” the local community.
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