1,300 HOMES GET THE NOD

£25m plan passed

AN enormous estate of more than 1,300 houses has been approved by planners near a motorway.

The £250million development will be either side of Balmoral Park outside Lisburn in Co Antrim.

A new £12million road linking the M1 to Knockmore Road has also been given the go-ahead, together with permission in principle for 750,000sq ft of commercial floor space.

Around 9,000 jobs will be created over the next 20 years because of the ambitious plan, according to planners.

Neptune Carleton LLP applied to build the houses on land which had been earmarked for development by Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council.

The master plan will also see the creation of a riverside park alongside the Lagan, with landscaped and woodland walkways connecting to a range of housing.

A 200-bed hotel, community hub of local shops and facilities will also feature following the realignment and upgrade to Blaris Road.

An additional £500,000 will be awarded to Translink with the aim of creating a new park and ride system.

The planning consultant said the link would be finished before the summer of 2023.

The council’s planning committee debated the outline application for more than three hours before coming to a decision.

DUP MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, who joined the meeting remotely, said the site had “enormous commercial benefits” for Lisburn in the long-term.

He added: “For me the biggest aspect that we are talking about today is the link road and the potential that it creates for the city of Lisburn.

“At the moment let’s face reality, DFI have said that they are not going to fund the road and therefore we may wait decades for it to be delivered. Can Lisburn really afford that considering that’s realistically the only way we can expand the city?

“If that’s the case, then we must give weight to the need to ensure that the development is viable to deliver the link road because the road opens up potential for