Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Residents win right to challenge £55m offices
Go ahead for review of 14-storey block
PROPERTY costs have gone up 6% in the past year, it has been revealed.
The NI House Price Index found prices went up 3% over the last two quarters – between Q2 (April to June) and Q3 (July to September) .
The measure is now 19% higher than in the first quarter of 2015.
The figures are from the NI Residential Property
Price Index, which analyses almost all sales, including cash deals.
The average standardised price, across all property types, was £132,169.
Derry City and Strabane and Causeway Coast and Glens saw the biggest annual rise in the third quarter, with prices up by 9%. The smallest annual rise was in Belfast, where prices were up by 4%.
Neil Templeton from Templeton Robinson said the figures show “steady growth in the market, despite ongoing challenges”. RESIDENTS have won permission to challenge the building of a £55million office development in an inner city housing district.
A High Court judge granted leave to seek a review of the decision to approve the major construction in the Market area of South Belfast.
Campaigners opposed to building an office block up to 14-storeys high claim it will seriously impact on their right to privacy.
Proceedings were i ssu ed against Belfast City Council after it accepted a planning application for the development at Stewart Street and East Bridge Street, near Central Station. One resident, Elizabeth Conlon, brought the challenge on behalf of a wider group within the Market community.
Her b a r r i st e r Liam Mccollum argued the decision by the counc i l ’s p l a n n i n g committee to approve development was arguably unlawful.
Claiming a potential breach of privacy entitlements under European law, he contended the office tower would overlook homes and be invasive.
Mr Mccollum stressed: “The tradition is two-storey housing in the area, this development will involve up to 10 and 14 s storey-high development which is in strict contrast to the neighbourhood.”
Mr Justice Mccloskey acknowledged the scale of the plans.
He confirmed: “The decision of the court is that the threshold for granting leave to a apply for judicial review has been overcome.”
The legal challenge will now be heard in January.
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