Site Proposals
The proposal is for c. 80 no. social housng units, comprising a mix of 2 to 4 bed two-storey houses and 2 bed apartments within three-storey buildings. The development will include a number of wheelchair accessible houses and apartments.
The proposed layout incorporates public open spaces for residents to enjoy, with shared amenity areas for apartments and private rear gardens for houses.
Access to the development will be taken from the Belfast Road and will include a right hand turn lane. The majority of dwellings will benefit from in-curtilage car parking and a shared parking area is included for apartments. Additional visitor parking is also provided within the layout.
Housing Need
There is an increasing need for social housing in the Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council (LCCC) Area. The Housing Executives Housing Invest Plan 2024 Update identifies that at March 2024, there were 2,516 applicants on the social housing waiting list within the Council area, and 78% of these (1,975) were in housing stress.
The second largest group of applicants is small families, comprising 650 applicants in the Council area. Of those, 528 applicants are in housing stress.
The Housing Executive’s 5 year Assessment from 2023 to 2028 shows a need for 1,636 units in LCCC, this is concentrated on the Lisburn Urban Area, which has a need for 1,042 units over the five year period. At March 2023 there was also a need for 46 Wheelchair Units.
The proposals for a mix of new high-quality 2 to 4 bed houses and apartments will therefore go some way to helping those in housing stress within the local area, particularly small families.
Traffic and Access
It is proposed to construct a dedicated right hand turning lane (RHTL) at the entrance to the planned housing development.
A right turning lane consists of local widening of the priority road with associated carriageway markings to define a deceleration taper and dedicated waiting area for vehicles intending to turn right into the development road.
The design shall be in accordance with TD 42/95 – Geometric Design of Major/Minor Junctions set out in the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB4) – Volume 6 and the requirements of Development Control Advice Note 15 (DCAN 15).
This will provide a safe access into the development and have the added benefit of improving traffic flow in this vicinity.
Also, the provision of a RHTL will result in the reduction of potential accidents.
