Proposal to change ‘vacant’ commercial units in Ballyclare town centre to residential apartments

The proposal for the creation of one and two-bedroom dwellings relates to first and second floor units at Granges Street, Ballyclare. The site is accessed via Granges Entry at The Square.

A design statement says it is being “designed in correlation with the borough council’s ‘Living over the Shops’ grants initiative offering potential financial support to help convert vacant or derelict commercial units into residential dwellings”.

Last August, Antrim and Newtownabbey Council approved a £1.4m Living Above the Shops scheme in a bid to boost investment in the borough’s town centres.

It is proposed the pilot scheme will be implemented during a four-year period through a phased approach commencing in Antrim town in 2023/24, followed by Ballyclare and Randalstown.

Councillors were told the aim of the Living Above the Shops is to “bring back into use vacant space for residential purposes and to maximise the positive impact in town centres”.

The council is seeking to increase footfall, business investment and vibrancy through a new “urban community” and aid the growth of an evening economy.

The design statement says the proposed building at Granges Street consists of commercial and retail units on the ground floor with separate commercial units on the first floor and separate off-street entrances.

“The first floor commercial units have been vacant for a number of years mainly due to the extremely low demand for commercial space within the town of Ballyclare,” the report says.

It also states: “As with much of the province, there is a high demand for private and social housing within the town of Ballyclare and the wider area of Antrim and Newtownabbey in which the proposal can provide both.”

According to the Housing Executive’s Social Housing Need by Settlement 2021-2026, the projected need is 20 homes in Ballyclare, two in Ballynure and five in Doagh.

Separately, a planning application has been lodged with Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council for the proposed change of use from retail outlets to two residential apartments at Main Street, Straid.

Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter