Destruction of Heritage

​

Olympian's proposals entail the destruction of our cultural built heritage and the destruction of the local historic environment.

​

Havelock House is a building with national historic significance and immense cultural importance in Northern Ireland. It also includes unique architecture relating to the development of TV on these islands.

​

The scale, massing and design of Olympian's proposal will adversely effect the setting of other historic buildings in the area. These include the Belfast Gasworks and Rose Cottage, the oldest residence in the area.

​

Impact on local residents

​

Olympian's proposals will have an adverse impact on the quality of life of the area's existing residents, most of whom live in two-storey houses.

​

Its development will overlook their back gardens, limiting residents' privacy. The monotonous design favoured by Olympian will also create a sense of confinement.

​

There will be increased noise and disturbance. Olympian plans to position the development's car park and electrical transformer along the back wall of neighbouring gardens.

​

To compound matters, these residents already live in one of the worst living environments in Northern Ireland. There is very high levels of deprivation and mental health problems. It also has serious health, crime and education issues. 

​

Sustainability

​

Olympian's proposals represent the least sustainable approach to redeveloping the Havelock House site at a time when communities are facing an energy crisis and are fighting to minimise their carbon footprint.

​

Both demolition and construction are energy intensive and have considerable carbon footprints. As a result, the most sustainable approach to development entails the reuse of existing structures where possible.

​

Havelock House is a building which has both a proven track record of successful reuse and, due to its design, can easily be put to new purposes, many of which would be of greater benefit to the city than Olympian's current plans.

​

Potential student use

 

There are concerns that, despite its claims, Olympian intends to build student accommodation on the site.

​

The building plans submitted are more akin to student flats than Buy To Rent properties aimed at young professionals. In particular, it contains the type of shared laundry rooms seen only in student flats and hostels.

​

On the plans, Olympian has sought to conceal the laundry rooms through the use of misleading labels on its drawings.

​

The reasons for potential concealment are clear. Due to issues with anti-social behaviour, student accommodation is subject to special planning rules in Belfast.

 

There is, however, a loophole where Olympian can build a 'residential' development and seek a change of use to student accommodation from council planners.

​

Community Relations

​

Havelock House sits on an interface between the Donegall Pass and Lower Ormeau. It boundary includes an interface barrier.

 

Relations between the two communities can still be difficult and Havelock House has a calming influence due to its status as a neutral space.

 

Local residents believe that it could be reused in a way which could help build better community relations.This may eventually allow the barrier to be removed.

​

Olympian's plans to demolish Havelock House will damage community relations, reinforce the existing division and possibly destablise the interface, especially as residential property often produces flashpoints.

​

The development also breaches the Executive's strategy on the removal of interfaces and planning policy concerning developments at interfaces.

​

Bad Planning​

 

Olympian's proposal relies on Belfast City Council adopting previous bad planning as precedent. The developer argues its plan should be approved due to the existence of Portland 88, a neighbouring apartment block.

​

But Portland 88 was only built due to mistakes made by planners at the former Department of Environment.

​

They granted planning permission for the building before they had contacted all the statutory consultees required. One of the forgotten consultees later indicated it would have strongly objected to the proposal.

​

The planners also overlooked the development's severely negative impact on the living conditions of local resident.

​

Olympian argues that due to the Department of Environment's past mistakes, it is entitled to construct an even more problematic development on an adjacent site.