Rep says “We have never had any issues from the neighbours in terms of complaints or disputes”
A mental health accommodation facility in North Belfast is to get a facelift which will enable users “to have their own front door,” despite local opposition.
Mindwise, at 21 Skegoneill Avenue, Belfast, BT15, off the Antrim Road, has received planning permission from Belfast City Council for the subdivision of a six bed shared dwelling to provide three self-contained flats. The proposal is for social housing in the form of apartments, and saw four submissions of objection from locals, as well as a request from a Sinn Féin councillor.
The plan involves the demolition of a single storey rear return and the erection of a two storey rear extension to provide one self-contained flat. The applicant is Chris Graham 37-41 May Street Belfast.
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MindWise is a leading membership based mental health charity in Northern Ireland, working with people of all ages directly affected by mental health issues as well as families, carers, employers and teachers.
On its website Mindwise refers to Skegoneill House as a “supported housing service which provides low support accommodation and support for five adults who are experiencing mental health issues.” It adds: “Tenants who live here are required to be more independent in terms of managing living skills such as cooking, cleaning and managing medication. The tenants in this service are supported by staff in our other service, offering a ‘floating’ type service.”
The Skegoneill Avenue address has been a supported living service for a number of years. The proposal does not change the number of clients to be supported, but Mindwise states it aims to improve the support.
Planning officers at City Hall recommended the application for approval, and elected representatives from all parties at the June meeting of the Belfast City Council Planning Committee unanimously gave the plan the green light, despite some local opposition.
The council planning report stated that Sinn Féin Councillor Brónach Anglin had requested the application be reported to the Planning Committee for “significant public interest” and “concerns relating to congestion and parking.”
The report adds: “Officers consider that the scheme will not be harmful in terms of traffic, parking, impact on amenity of the surrounding area or the Glandore Gardens Draft Area of Townscape Character.”
There were four objectors to the plan. They raised concerns about parking, traffic, road safety, waste and refuse collection, adverse impact on the sewage network, antisocial behaviour and noise. They also voiced worries about potential adverse visual impacts, fly tipping, issues with the rear of the site, and loss of light to the adjacent property.
The council report states: “The proposal is not directly related to fly tipping in the rear alleyway and is a separate issue. Private bin space is provided on site for all residents.
“(Regarding) issues with property to the rear: this is not a material consideration and is outside the remit of this application. (Regarding) overdevelopment: the current property hosts six people, the proposal seeks to sub-divide this into four flats, accommodating five people, therefore, there is no intensification or overdevelopment occurring on the site.
“(Regarding) loss of light to adjacent property: the rear gardens of the terraced row are south facing meaning they will enjoy sunlight for most of the day. The extension itself is angled away from the adjacent property meaning loss of sunlight will not be exacerbated unacceptably.”
A representative from MindWise told the committee: “Skegoneill operates very well as a supported living service, under the radar largely in North Belfast, where there is huge unmet demand for mental health services. The service users who use the accommodation here at Skegoneill Avenue do have diagnoses of severe mental illness, and the accommodation as it stands is really not conducive to a therapeutic environment, or an environment which lends to recovery or management.
“It really is necessary for us to step in and create an environment which does actually support those individuals. It is not going to take away from the services offered within that community, it will enhance it in the North Belfast area, and it is a pity we don’t have more of this.
“So I was surprised to learn there was any opposition to the plan. We have never had any issues from the neighbours in terms of complaints or disputes in the area at all.”
She added: “Currently the building has four clients residing in it. They do have a lot of shared facilities, in fact their only private facilities are their actual bedrooms. Everything else, including bathrooms are shared.
“The move is for people to have their own front door, and to have the space to actually come together when they want to, but also to have their own individual space when needed. The staff support is based in Fortwilliam Park, where there is another supported living service that Mindwise manages.
“In this day and age, people shouldn’t have to live in a service where they don’t have anything other than one room.”
