Northern Ireland Planning Service

Northern Area Plan 2016
Strategic Plan Framework: Housing Apartments in Settlements with Pressure for Second Homes

Most of the Plan’s coastal settlements have experienced pressure for apartment development since the 1990s. Many schemes have been approved, and a number constructed. There is, however, increasing public concern regarding the impact of apartments. These concerns include the effect on the physical character of the local townscape, the loss of lower priced accommodation and permanent residential units, the growth of second home ownership, and the adverse impact on the viability of local services and facilities caused, in part, by such developments. The Plan designates Areas of Opportunity for Apartments in the following towns and villages:
  1. Ballycastle
  2. Castlerock
  3. Portballintrae
  4. Portrush
  5. Portstewart
where there is a high level of second home occupation, and where the long term viability of the permanent community is threatened. Further information is contained in the relevant settlement section of the Plan.
Policy HOU 3 Apartment Development in Settlements With Pressure for Second Homes
Proposals for apartment development will be granted within the designated Areas of Opportunity for Apartments indicated on the Proposals Maps in the District proposals, subject to the criteria set out below being met.
Within these areas, changes of use of existing buildings to apartments will be permitted subject to the proposal having no adverse impact on the character of the building or the prevailing character of the local area.
Outside of these areas, planning permission will not be granted for new development for apartments unless they comprise part of a comprehensive development of not less than 30 dwellings and which incorporates a range of dwelling types.
All proposals will be assessed against the following criteria:
  1. the development is of a height, scale, layout and design appropriate to the local area and would not cause harm to its character and appearance;
  2. the density is acceptable in townscape and amenity terms and consistent with the locality;
  3. there is no adverse impact on the occupiers of existing dwellings in terms of noise, general disturbance, loss of daylight, loss of privacy or overbearing effect;
  4. the development would not be over prominent in long distance views;
  5. any natural or built features on the site, and worthy of retention, are incorporated into the scheme;
  6. an appropriate level of amenity space to serve future residents is provided in a suitable location and is appropriately landscaped
  7. the development incorporates a suitable landscape survey and scheme;
  8. the proposal does not involve the loss of an important community facility, and
  9. the proposal does not threaten the viability of an existing commercial use at ground floor.
Designated Areas of Opportunity for Apartments relate primarily to those parts of the settlement where such developments have already occurred. The area in Ballycastle lies, in part, within its Conservation Area. Each settlement also includes Listed Buildings which may potentially be affected by an apartment development. Relevant proposals will be assessed against the planning policies contained in PPS 6: Planning, Archaeology and the Built Heritage. Where appropriate, the impact of proposals on the setting of Conservation Areas and Listed Buildings will also be assessed. Some designated areas also contain town services, most notably Portstewart where the designated area corresponds very closely to the commercial core of the town.
The townscapes of the identified settlements generally exhibit a domestic scale, which is also characteristic of the designated areas. Buildings tend to range between one and three storeys in height, with two and two-and-a-half storeys common. Three storey buildings occur historically in the larger settlements, and may be prevalent within centres. There is little variation in the choice of materials used, with render and slate commonplace. Buildings tend to be positioned at the back of pavement, with narrow frontage and vertical emphasis. Streetscapes display an irregularity and randomness in terms of building heights, eaves and ridge heights, even where buildings comprise the same number of storeys. Public buildings normally form the local landmarks.
Proposals for new development will be expected to maintain this variety in the street. Where the prevailing character of the area is a random one, and a proposal incorporates a long street frontage, the building should be broken down into blocks to allow each component to be designed individually and avoid the development being over-dominant in the street scene.
Public buildings have, historically, been the most prominent on approaches to settlements, due to the prevailing domestic scale architecture. Often the setting of a settlement is enhanced by its interrelationship with the surrounding landscape, where higher land and wooded areas form a backdrop and skyline to a settlement. The impact of proposals on long distance views, including views from the sea, is also therefore an important consideration.
Proposals for apartments in other settlements will be assessed against the provisions of prevailing planning policy, in particular PPS 7: Quality Residential Developments and DCAN 8: Housing in Existing Urban Areas.
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