Welcome
Welcome to this public consultation information event.
These information boards have been prepared to introduce Neptune Carleton’s proposed outline planning application for “Proposed mixed use development to include new housing, including affordable housing (Use Class C1), employment (Use Classes B1, B2, B3 and B4), and healthcare (Use Class D1(a)) with associated local needs convenience retailing (Use Class A1), riverside parkland, landscaping and associated infrastructure” at Lands at Blaris, Lisburn (lands between existing M1 Junction 8/A101 roundabout and Moira Road/Knockmore Road junction).
The masterplan for Blaris represents an exciting opportunity to shape the natural expansion of Lisburn. The vision for Blaris is to create a high-quality lateral extension of Lisburn City that will provide substantial and tangible sustainable benefits for the city and the region as a whole. Designed to integrate with the surrounding landscape, it will offer a carefully considered mix of housing, employment opportunities, and supporting infrastructure.
Alongside new homes, the masterplan provides for employment, healthcare and commercial floorspace, alongside two local centres. By creating jobs near homes, Blaris promotes a sustainable balance of work and living. Together, these elements will form a holistic, sustainable neighbourhood where people can live, work, and thrive.
At the heart of the Blaris proposals is the M1-Knockmore Link Road, a vital new transport connection that will enhance accessibility and establish the potential for a future movement corridor to the strategic Maze Long Kesh site, unlocking significant regional potential. The proposed development will ultimately facilitate the construction of the M1-Knockmore Link Road which has extant full planning permission secured in October 2023.
Feedback
The purpose of the exhibition is to provide you with background information on the site and the emerging proposals. We invite you to please take a few minutes of your time to complete a feedback form available from one of our team. Feedback received will then be reflected upon and responded to in refining the masterplan as progress is made towards a formal outline planning application submission.
We trust you enjoy viewing our proposals. We would be pleased to answer any queries or questions you may have.
M1
A1
Lisburn City Centre
Maze / Long Kesh
to Newry / Dublin
to Belfast
BLARIS
N
Blaris Road
Site Context Plan
to Dungannon / Craigavon
Newry/ Dublin
Dungannon/ Craigavon
Blaris, Lisburn
Vision
The development at Blaris will sensitively integrate with its environment, delivering a high-quality, mixeduse development that balances economic growth with residential living and environmental sustainability.
Approximately half of the developable area of the site is formed of employment uses, supporting local and regional economic development, while the remaining area will provide a range of high-quality residential houses, contributing to a vibrant and balanced community.
There is the potential within the outline planning application that is being prepared to deliver over 990,000 sq. ft of a variety of business and employment uses, some 1290 new dwellings, new local needs convenience retail and creation of a riverside park.
The development will be anchored by the creation of the M1-Knockmore Link Road, significantly improving movement and connectivity between the M1 and A1 corridors and connecting north and west Lisburn to Sprucefield and easing traffic flow. This will enable the road and public transport network to embrace orbital movement around greater Lisburn, enhancing accessibility and capacity in Lisburn city centre. The neighbourhoods will be walkable and designed to encourage movement by foot and bicycle to promote active lifestyles. The masterplan also safeguards land for an extension to the existing park and ride facility.
Client and Team
They have mobilised a comprehensive professional team to guide the proposals through the planning process.
The Applicant, Neptune Carleton LLP, is a joint venture between property development company Neptune Group and the Thornton family.
Blaris, Lisburn
Site History and Context
In April 2021, Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council (LCCC) Planning Committee approved two planning applications for Blaris, subject to resolution of a Section 76 legal agreement:
• Planning application reference LA05/2018/1154/O – an outline application for mixed use development (1,300 houses; c.750,000 sq ft employment space); and
• Planning application reference LA05/2018/1155/F – a full planning application for the M1-Knockmore link road, a 1.6km length of road connecting north and west Lisburn to the M1 and A1 transport corridors linking east-west and north-south.
The applications, originally submitted in November 2018, were both EIA development, supported by Environmental Statements and followed a comprehensive pre-application discussion (PAD) process with LCCC.
LCCC was prevented from issuing planning permissions because the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) “called in” the applications in January 2022. One of the principal reasons for the call in was perceived prematurity to the then emerging LCCC Local Development Plan (LDP).
The Examination in Public into LCCC’s Plan Strategy took place in May 2022 and the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) subsequently reported to DfI in November 2022.
DfI subsequently issued decisions in August 2023 as follows:
• A notice of opinion to approve the full planning application LA05/2018/1155/F for the M1-Knockmore link road including infrastructure (attenuation ponds; spur roads) to facilitate a future link to Maze Long Kesh and related access development parcels to the west of the link road; and
• A notice of opinion to refuse the value generating outline mixed use application LA05/2018/1154/O (1300 houses; 750,000 sq ft employment space).
The refusal of the previous outline mixed use application is currently the subject of an appeal to the PAC. As yet no programme has been arranged by the PAC but the hearing is not expected to be scheduled until 2026.
LCCC received a direction from DfI and moved to formally adopt their Plan Strategy in September 2023. The adopted LCCC Plan Strategy 2032 now includes a strategic mixed use designation for lands at Blaris, West Lisburn. That includes a broadly 50:50 split of developable land between employment and housing uses.
Blaris, Lisburn
Planning Policy Context
Lisburn & Castlereagh Plan Strategy 2032
The Lisburn & Castlereagh Plan Strategy 2032 was adopted in September 2023. The Applicant seeks to bring forward a fresh new outline application for mixed use development, fully compliant with the SMU01 mixed-use allocation in the now adopted LCCC LDP 2032 Plan Strategy. The application will be supported by a fresh Environmental Impact Assessment.
The LCCC Plan Strategy 2032 now includes a strategic mixed use designation SMU01 for lands at Blaris, West Lisburn. That includes a broadly 50:50 split of developable land between employment and housing uses.
Strategic Mixed Use Designation West Lisburn/Blaris
Policy SMU01 ‘West Lisburn/Blaris’ is the principal LDP policy in relation to both the Blaris development and the M1-Knockmore link road. It confirms a strategic mixed use site, to facilitate growth in Lisburn City and to unlock the development potential of West Lisburn in general. LCCC’s vision, expressed through SMU01, aims to stimulate economic growth and community resilience, making Blaris a central hub for sustainable, longterm development.
The relevant sections of the plan strategy in relation to SMU01 are included below.
Implementation within the site of a car-free Primary Strategic Greenway linking the National Cycle Network (NCN9) from Union Locks west towards Portadown
i) The proposed phasing of development
j) The following uses, as defined in the Planning (Use Classes) Order (Northern Ireland) 2015 (or as amended) will only be acceptable: employment (Use Classes B1, B2, B3 and B4) dwellings (Use Class C1) small scale local needs convenience retailing (Use Class A1) healthcare facilities (Use Class D1(a))
k)
Blaris, Lisburn
SMU01 Masterplan Concept
The adopted LCCC Plan Strategy identifies Blaris as the key location for major mixed use growth of Lisburn City. The sustainable enhancements to movement and connectivity that development will bring, connecting the A1/M1 corridors to north and west Lisburn, offers the opportunity for a future connection to the regionally significant development opportunity at Maze Long Kesh. SMU01 confirms a major housing allocation of 1350 units and a broadly 50:50 split of the Blaris land use between employment and housing land uses.
The plans below set out an overall concept masterplan for the SMU01 designation area.
Blaris, Lisburn
SMU01 Indicative Masterplan
An overall concept masterplan been prepared for the SMU01 Designation Lands. This delivers policy requirements and confirms that approximately 50% of the site consists of employment uses with the remainder of the site dedicated to residential development. This will create a balanced urban community alongside employment uses to support economic growth and inward investment in key sectors.
A strategic open space network provides a variety of open spaces and delivers a linear riverside park following the northern and eastern edge of the SMU01 Designation Lands which includes a comprehensive foot and cycle path network, and extensive landscaping.
Blaris, Lisburn
Site Assessment
Before explaining the design response to the outline application site, it is important to explain the extent of site assessment that has been completed to fully understand the site’s constraints and its opportunities.
That includes appreciating the site’s topography, the influence of the River Lagan corridor and floodplain, the wider landscape character, the site’s ecological characteristics, its infrastructural context, including road, footpath and cycle network connectivity, utilities and drainage and its noise and air quality baseline. It also has included a cultural heritage assessment to fully understand archaeological and built heritage elements of note both within and surrounding the site.
A wide range of survey assessment has informed the concept master plan for the site. This considerable body of work will be articulated in the Environmental Statement that will accompany the outline planning application.
Socio-Economic Assessment
The application for outline planning permission will be supported by a detailed Socio-Economic Assessment. The following economic benefits are anticipated to be generated by the total scheme:
Construction phase
• M1 Knockmore Link Road will support 64 direct and 44 indirect FTE over the construction period, generating £11.3m in GVA.
• Direct construction jobs: 298 jobs sustained over the 15-year period
• Indirect construction jobs: 209 jobs sustained over the 15-year period
• Construction GVA: £398.8m (£251.4 direct + £147.4 indirect)
Completed development of new employment floorspace
• Full time equivalent jobs range: 996 – 1,713
• GVA generated by total floorspace range: £40.2m - £107.0m
• Annual business rates: £1.5m
Completed development of 1,290 new homes
• Resident population accommodated: 3,147
• Household Expenditure per annum: £33.9m
• Resident workforce GVA per annum (excluding those working within employment floorspace delivered as part of the Blaris development) : £50.8m
• Domestic Annual Rates: £1.2m
Landscape and Visual
The site comprises of a series of agricultural fields that are commonly bounded by low hedgerows and the occasional mature hedgerow, tree or tree belt.
Blaris Road extends through the site together with a series of electricity pylons running broadly north-south across the wider area. The site lies within the broad River Lagan valley and is generally flat. The River Lagan extends through and defines the boundary at the north of the site.
The proposed design of the development has evolved as part of an iterative process and has been informed by the findings of the baseline landscape and visual amenity conditions.
This has influenced the proposed layout of the concept masterplan, the scale and massing of introduced built elements and the extent and arrangement of different landscape treatments.
The landscape strategy for the overall development is underpinned by the following objectives:
• Integrate the proposed development within the landscape to minimise adverse landscape and visual effects
• Provide an attractive setting to the proposed development based upon the
character and an understanding of the site and surrounding environment
Specific mitigation design features to be employed will include:
• Integrate built forms within a robust and coherent landscape framework that connects with the existing surrounding vegetation
• Retain existing tree belts, trees and hedgerows with substantial clusters to be incorporated into the proposed green infrastructure network
• Contribute to the wider green infrastructure by delivering open space and habitat enhancement along the River Lagan, including pedestrian and cycle routes
• Reinforce the legibility of the River Lagan within the wider landscape and enhance its biodiversity value through the introduction of tree belts, wetland areas and amenity and wildflower grassland
• Create a positive streetscape along the proposed M1-Knockmore link road including structural planting
• Create a sensitive edge to the cemeteries while respecting their setting
Blaris, Lisburn
Ecology Transportation
Detailed ecological surveys and assessment work to comprehensively understand the ecological site baseline has been prepared to inform the masterplan and road alignment proposals. Ecological field surveys have been ongoing throughout 2024.
Detailed surveys in relation to protected species (notably bats, amphibians, breeding birds, badgers and otter) have been undertaken in 2024. Assessments have also been made in relation to the likely presence of other protected species.
The development proposals, including those mitigation measures which are inherent within the scheme will ensure that those habitats of value in nature conservation are retained and protected. There is no evidence to suggest that the proposed development would lead to a significant impact on any known protected species or ecological features of value at the international, national, county or local level.
The introduction of the M1-Knockmore Link Road (MKLR) will bring considerable benefits to the operation of the road network and relieve routes around the city centre. Land is safeguarded for an extension to the existing park and ride facility and bus stops will be provided within the site. The link road will make a significant improvement to the Lisburn network.
The proposed rail halt at Knockmore Road is located c.230m north of the site and is well-connected and accessible for the proposed development by bus, cycle and walking. It is currently expected to be completed by 2030.
There is the opportunity to provide a comprehensive and well-connected pedestrian / cycle network within the site which integrates and connects with existing and consented paths. These include proposed pedestrian and cycle routes alongside the MKLR, National Cycle Network Path 9, and the U411 Belfast to Slieve Gullion Route and The Lagan Towpath.
It is key to highlight that both 2018 applications were supported by Environmental Impact Assessments which included a Transport Assessment. That Transport Assessment (and addendum) considered the impact of the entire Blaris lands and delivery of the M1-Knockmore Link Road. DfI Roads considered the Transport Assessment (and addendum) for both applications and accepted the methodology, assessment and conclusions. They confirmed no objection to both applications. The previously agreed Transport Assessment remains valid as a consequence of the live planning permission for the M1-Knockmore link road which remains extant until October 2028.
The current outline application reflects a change in the development mix and application boundary of the previously submitted outline application. As part of this new application a new Transport Assessment is being prepared consistent with SMU01 and the revised development mix in the forthcoming outline application.
Blaris, Lisburn
Cultural Heritage
All likely significant effects on the historic environment have been assessed as part of the site assessment exercise. That has examined the likely effects on archaeology receptors within the site and built heritage assets within and outside the site, including consideration of their settings.
An archaeological desk-based assessment and a built heritage statement have been prepared to assess the potential archaeological and built heritage effects arising from the proposed development.
Based on current evidence there is a low theoretical potential for the site to contain hitherto undiscovered archaeological evidence from any period. Appropriate mitigation measures will be articulated in a programme of archaeological works.
Noise/Air Quality
Noise and air quality baseline material has been surveyed for the site. It is anticipated that there will be no unacceptable noise generation on the site and that day-time and nighttime noise limits will not exceed recognised amenity standards.
Flood Risk and Drainage
The potential impact of the proposed development on flooding and drainage has been comprehensively assessed. That has included preparation of a Flood Risk and Drainage Assessment report.
The wider Blaris site includes the floodplain of the River Lagan. In bringing forward development proposals it is critical to fully understand what areas may be subject to flood risk and to demonstrate that the areas where development is proposed will not be at risk of flooding and will not increase the risk of flooding elsewhere.
All storm run-off will be attenuated using Sustainable Urban Drainage systems (SUDS) and introducing a number of storage/balancing ponds. Storm runoff from the developed site will discharge at greenfield rate to the adjacent watercourses at a number of locations.
Utilities Infrastructure
Electricity
There are a number of 11kv overhead lines which cross the site as well as a 33kv overhead line. These will be undergrounded and run along the proposed new roads within the development to minimise impacts.
Gas
There are existing gas services running along Moira Road and Knockmore Road.
Telecommunications
There are existing BT cables within the development area, particularly along Blaris Road. The provision of telecommunications infrastructure will generally be placed underground with ducts following the routes of the internal road network.
NI Water
The professional team have reviewed the existing water and sewer infrastructure and have engaged with NI Water to understand the location of existing storm and foul mains and the present context relating to capacity in the existing waste water treatment works and the requirement for enhancements to the wider pumping/pipe network. NI Water previously confirmed no objection to the LCCC ‘approval’ of the outline planning application that is the subject of appeal. NI Water recommended the inclusion of a condition that requires the submission of details of the drainage proposals for the disposal and treatment of foul sewage discharge to be submitted/agreed at reserved matters stage. Discussion and engagement is continuing between the Applicant and NI Water to progress these matters.
Blaris, Lisburn
Application
Proposed
Indicative Masterplan
Proposed
Approved
Proposed
Proposed
Figure 24: Application Indicative Masterplan
Onward
Proposed
Application
SMU01
Proposed
Proposed
Approved
Proposed
Proposed
Onward
Proposed
Existing
Proposed
Approved
Proposed
Proposed
Onward
Proposed
Existing
Existing
Blaris, Lisburn
Phasing and Delivery
The plan below sets out indicative phasing of how the proposed development is anticipated to be delivered.
R1
Feedback
Following this public consultation exercise, the Applicant and their professional team will continue to work up the concept master plan for the site in addition to the supporting technical assessments and reflect upon the feedback received at this event.
A vital part of preparing the planning applications is to engage meaningfully with the local community and share the vision for the lands and to invite your feedback.
We warmly thank you for taking the time to attend this event and would be delighted if you would take the time to share your thoughts on what you have seen and the prospect of the proposed development proceeding through planning.
You are invited to provide feedback on the development by completing the Feedback Form, via the consultation website www.clydeshanks. com/public-consultations to Clyde Shanks Ltd, 2nd Floor, 7 Exchange Place, Belfast, BT1 2NA or by email to gregor@clydeshanks.com
Feedback forms should be returned no later than 7 February 2025
Any comments provided to Neptune Carleton LLP arising from this consultation will not be regarded as representations to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. However, commenting at this time does not prevent you from making further comments as there will be an
opportunity for representations to be submitted to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council on any future planning application relating to this proposed development.
No personals details will be given out in any consultation report prepared to accompany any application for planning permission for this site. Any feedback received will not be attributable to any specific individual.
Next Steps
Following this consultation process, updated proposals taking account of feedback will be prepared and submitted to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. The timescales associated with this are detailed below:
• Application for outline planning permission to be submitted to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council in Spring 2025.
• Opportunity for public to provide comments to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council regarding application thereafter.