AN £11 million plan to transform the former Debenhams store at Belfast’s CastleCourt into a new cinema and leisure hub looks set to get official planning approval today, despite initial concerns from NI Water over wastewater capacity in the Royal Avenue area.
Belfast City Council’s planning committee is due to meet on Wednesday evening to consider a recommendation to approve the major development.
Omniplex has already signed on for a nine-screen luxury cinema, which is likely to take up much of the 80,000 sq ft space vacated by Debenhams in May 2021.
The planning proposal for the rest of the space also leaves the door open for retail, hospitality and leisure use.
But the recommendation to approve is subject to NI Water withdrawing its original objection to the plans.
According to the report prepared for Wednesday’s meeting, NI Water had cited insufficient wastewater treatment capacity for the development, stating: “The public system cannot presently serve this development proposal without significant risk of environmental harm.”
Wastewater treatment works in the area are due to be upgraded by July 2023. But that remains dependant on prioritisation and funding.
The report states NI Water entered into direct talks with CastleCourt’s owners Wirefox, with the applicant citing the significant impact Covid has had on footfall.
It provided evidence projecting footfall in 2023 will be 8 million, down from 10.5 million in 2019 and therefore resulting in reduced water demand.
Belfast City Council said it subsequently received verbal indications from NI Water that it will remove its objection.
Based on the objection being formally withdrawn, city planning officials said they’ll recommend a green light.
Council officials noted that Wirefox “is under an extremely tight timeframe” for the prospective tenants to be able to fit out the units for opening by late October/mid-November 2022.
The report said if the works are not completed by November 2022, they would have to be delayed to avoid interfering with Christmas trade, potentially pushing back opening until Easter 2023.
“There is also concern about rising construction costs and impact that delays would have on deliverability and affordability of the scheme,” states the report.
“The applicant states that without recent approved developments in the city centre being built out yet, the proposed leisure scheme is needed more than ever to support regeneration of the Royal Avenue area.”
