Committee to consider planning application for 650 new homes

The company behind plans for the construction of 650 new homes on land near Ballymacash in Lisburn has confirmed that its planning application isn't the one that's due to be considered by the council's Planning Committee next week.

A “reserved matters” application for a proposed residential development of 650 dwellings on lands to the north and east of Ballymacash Primary School, east of Mourneview Park and Glenbrae and south of Glenavy Road is listed for determination by the committee on Monday, August 7.

However, a spokesperson for MS Drayne stressed that it is not their application that will come before the council on Monday, but rather an old application submitted by the previous owners of the Draynes Farm site.

It’s understood the application still has to be processed as a refusal as it hasn’t been withdrawn from the planning system.

MS Drayne has lodged an application for the first phase of its proposed development, for the construction of 99 dwellings. And an application for phase two of the scheme is expected to be submitted this autumn.

There has been considerable local opposition to the proposed development on the 84-acre site at Glenavy Road/Brokerstown Road, which is already zoned for housing.

The ‘Lisburn Residents Opposed to Housing Development at Draynes Farm Land’ Facebook group, which has more than 400 likes, says the area is “already at breaking point” and cannot sustain hundreds more new homes.

Opponents of the project have voiced a number of key concerns, including inadequate roads and sewerage infrastructure, local schools being oversubscribed and a possible increased risk of flooding.

They say no more new housing schemes should be approved until the infrastructure problems in the area are dealt with.

MS Drayne says it is committed to working with all relevant authorities and the local community in order to address any concerns about the proposed development.

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