Poots Gives the Green Light to £30million Development
Published on Tue, 17 Nov 2009
Environment Minister Edwin Poots today granted planning permission to a major development located at the once grand Lotus Factory, on Newry Road in Banbridge.
This important listed building was designed in 1949 by architects WDR & RT Taggart in a Modernist / Art Deco style. It was built as an advance factory for the Northern Ireland Ministry of Commerce and at its height it employed over 600 people.
Now it is set to become homes for local people, in a mixed housing development which has been designed to be sympathetic to the original factory building and bring it back into use. The planning approval will now give the go ahead for 163 housing units with an investment value of some £30 million.
Minister Poots said,”This major investment is great news for our economy and in particular for our local construction sector. The development will also bring a currently redundant/unoccupied listed building back into use and will provide an important focal point on one of the main gateways to Banbridge town, whilst supporting the local centres of commerce."
The Minister was particularly pleased with the speed that the application was processed. He explained: "Planning Service has processed the planning application in just 4 months. This is a fine example of what can be achieved when agents submit high quality planning applications with the principles of sustainability and promotion of the economy embedded into the design.”
NOTES TO EDITOR
1.The Craigavon Divisional Planning Office received a full planning application for an amendment to an existing approval consisting of a residential development including conversion of listed factory and erection of mixed residential units consisting of 67 no. apartments, 59 no. townhouses, 32 no. semi-detached dwellings and 5 no. detached dwellings (total of 163 units) at the Lotus Factory, 184 Newry Road, Banbridge (planning ref. Q/2009/0376/F), on 15 July 2009.
2.The applicant is Stoney Properties Ltd. and the agent is Kevin Cartin Architects, Unit 5 Belmont Office Park, 232-240 Belmont Road, Belfast (028 9076 9755).
3. All media enquiries should be directed to the DOE Press Office on 028 9054 0003. Out of office hours please contact the duty press officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned
