Significant Opposition to Apartment Development Near Carrickfergus Castle
There has been significant opposition to the proposed development of a £13.5 million apartment block near Carrickfergus Castle, a key tourist attraction in County Antrim.
Last month, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council approved plans to transform the former Swift complex located at the waterfront in Carrickfergus.
Almost 1,000 objections were submitted to the council, with many raising concerns about the impact on the conservation area and questioning the necessity for additional apartments in the area.
A council officer informed the planning committee that there were 19 letters of support and that all matters had been "carefully considered." NI reached out to the developer, who declined to comment.
Rhiannon Crawford, who owns a coffee cart near the castle, noted that the development plan was widely discussed locally.
"A lot of people are very against it," she said.
"There's a lot of apartments about here. I get that it is a really good location for apartments because the views would be amazing, but something more useful could go in."
Crawford suggested the area could have been developed into a tourist visitors' centre, particularly for days when the castle is closed.
"The castle is closed on Mondays, so when it's closed there could be something there for them," she said.
"There are a lot of apartments about and we think that it could have gone to a better use."
Conversely, Michael McNally expressed support for the development, describing the current building as "a bit of an eyesore."
"At the end of the day people have to live somewhere," he said.
"The building had been sitting like that there for so long now, it's just becoming a bit of an embarrassment."
"Unless somebody comes up with a better idea, at the minute anything's better than that."
Details of the Proposed Development
The application was submitted by an agent on behalf of Massereene Developments Ltd, a Belfast-based company.
The proposal includes the construction of 33 apartments within three-and-a-half storey buildings and the demolition of the existing structure located to the east of Rodger's Quay.
Many objectors expressed concerns regarding the apartments' proximity to Carrickfergus Castle.
The planning committee also heard objections related to the height of the proposed buildings and potential traffic congestion. Some believed the site would be better suited for community, tourism, or leisure facilities.
The council's planning committee had previously rejected proposals for demolishing the site to build apartments.
A planning officer advised the council that there were 19 letters of support and that the development would not cause any unacceptable impact on the character or appearance of the area.
Alliance assembly member Stewart Dickson commented on the decision to approve the apartment development.
"It is disappointing," he said.
"The site is in a very important part of Carrickfergus on the harbour, overlooked by the castle."
"I'm not really convinced that building apartments is an appropriate use of a very valuable site in Carrickfergus which could have been used for so many other things, both for the community and for visitors to the town."
"But, regrettably, the planning service have their rules and those rules had to be followed in this particular set of circumstances."
"It highlights the issue of dereliction which is a major issue for lots of our towns."
"But it also deals with the issue of planning rules and the failure for individuals who want to complain about a planning application that's been approved. There's no third-party right of appeal in Northern Ireland."
Ulster Unionist Party assembly member John Stewart also expressed his views on the development.
"It is a prominent and historic site and simply not appropriate for apartments," he said.
"It is particularly disheartening that any opportunity for this location to be developed as a meaningful community or tourism asset now appears to be lost."
Stewart, who attended and spoke at the planning meeting, later stated that the decision raised "serious questions about whether local voices are truly being reflected in 'local' democratic decision-making."
NI contacted Mid and East Antrim Borough Council regarding the concerns raised.
In response, the council stated that following a "detailed planning application process," the plans were approved by the committee last month.
