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Sammy Wilson: Decision on Belfast skyscraper is abysmal

Monday, 12 January 2009

Northern Ireland’s planning minister has launched a stinging attack on officials in his own department for refusing permission for what would have been the tallest building on the island.

Sammy Wilson said the Planning Service’s decision to reject an application to build the 90-storey Aurora building in Belfast city centre was totally nonsensical.

He accused planners of ignoring the potential economic benefits of the project, particularly for the struggling construction industry.

“Planning officers have a role to play in kick-starting the economy and in this case they have failed and failed abysmally,” said the DUP minister.

While Mr Wilson is in charge of the department, decisions on individual applications are the responsibility of professional planners within the service.

The East Antrim Assembly member, who is also a Belfast City councillor, said if he had the power to the make the call on the Aurora he would have given it the green light. “There are still those within the planning system who see their role as being totally divorced from the well-being of the economy,” he said.

“They see their job as just ticking boxes, interpreting policies and quoting policies and don’t think they’ve a role in generating jobs, giving people a livelihood or generating economic growth.”

The city council has already asked the regional planning office in Belfast to reconsider its decision. Mr Wilson has also scheduled meetings with the office. If the planners don’t change their mind, the developers — McAlister Holdings — will have the option of going to the Planning Appeals Commission.

The planners claim the Aurora’s proposed design does not fit in with the character of the site and surrounding area on Great Victoria Street.

Mr Wilson said some planners were letting their prejudices cloud their work. “Here’s somebody prepared to invest £90 million on a unique building for the centre of Belfast and they are refused permission — you have to ask how does that make the city look to the international market?” he added.

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23 Comments

The philosophy of the "planning" department needs a complete overall. Is it spearheaded by small number of ultra-conservative out-dated old men? Are there reasons why Belfast is a "ground floor city"? Is there really beauty in this, as with other ground floor cities?

This is a ridiculous decision. As I walked to the Europa station to get the bus to Dublin airport I was stopped in my tracks by the sign put up by McAllister Holdings, I was in shock. Another reminder to me and many others of the reasons we wish to get out of the city for a while, and go to other cities which can call themselves a "city".

The particular area of Belfast in question needs serious and quick investment. A scheme like this would see that area thrown back into economic prosperity, or do the planners want to wait another 40 years for "something better to come along"???

Bonne Chance McAliister Holdings.

Posted by DJB | 25.01.09, 20:36 GMT

If you know anything about buildings that have been given permission in Belfast city centre in the last ten years you can only come to the conclusion that rejecting the Aurora tower makes no sense at all. It is a modern glass clad tower not a concrete eyesore that will date immediately. 90 million of investment is not to be sniffed at especially if planners in their safe government jobs realised how bad things are in the construction industry at the moment.

Posted by chris | 17.01.09, 23:21 GMT

Liam

You trust wrongly! He was wearing his ministerial hat. A big pointed one with a D on it!

Posted by Not DUPed | 14.01.09, 22:39 GMT

The first decent comments Sammy has made. I trust he was not wearing his minesterial hat when was making the comments but rather, in his role as a City Councillor

Posted by Liam | 13.01.09, 12:18 GMT

As the decision has been referred back to planning service for reconsideration, it is obvious that Sammy Wilson is blatently trying to force them to reverse their decision. This is unacceptable and unethical behaviour for a minister in charge of that department. If the decision is now overturned it must be seen in the context of Sammy's Wilson's attempts to exert pressure on his own staff. His bungling attempts to over-ride the established planning process may also have given rise to grounds for the decsion to be judicially reviewed.

Posted by Not DUPed | 12.01.09, 19:04 GMT

Totally agree with Stephen on this, why have a planning service at all? Why not a free for all? Belfast has a seriously dysfunctional built environment already so a few more inappropriate buildings won't shock anyone.

Mr Wilson should spend more time working with his staff, rather than taking pot shots at them when they make decisions that are politically uncomfortable for him.

@ darren, please explain how this building will 'help give a lift' to the 'horrible run-down part of our city'? The people who end up living there won't be going round Sandy Row to do their shopping, or even set foot in the area. All this building will do is keep a few construction jobs going for a few months. All the people of Belfast will be left with is an inappropriate and generic building, why does Mr Wilson feel it's 'a unique building'?

Posted by roy | 12.01.09, 18:10 GMT

Sammy Wilson often seems to be insensitive to reason when it comes to matters of planning.
Belfast architecture is an attraction to the foreign visitor because it is low scale and different from most major cities.
His recent comments on both the environment and planning coupled with his confrontational style make him unsuitable as the planning minister and he would benefit by being involved elsewhere.

Posted by gary | 12.01.09, 17:39 GMT

Couldn't agree more with Sammy. As for the planners, what else other than tall buildings would you expect to find in a modern prosperous city centre?

Posted by Buildit | 12.01.09, 17:10 GMT

Rather than publicly complaining about the situation and further undermining the planning service, I would like to know what Mr. Wilson is doing to address the problems that are inherent within the Planning Service. Whilst I understand that he cannot make judgements on individual cases to avoid a conflict of interests, surely he is in a position to implement changes or at least start the process of overhauling the planning service and the processes. If he is not, then his role needs to be put under scrutiny. We shouldn't be paying politicians to run bodies if they don't even have the power to change the way these bodies are run if they are not working efficiently.

Posted by steven | 12.01.09, 16:56 GMT

Well done Planning Department. Another eyesore avoided. Now can you relocate the wheel stuck by the side of the City Hall detracting from it's pleasing aspect and call a halt to the endless stream of apartments.

Posted by Betty | 12.01.09, 16:32 GMT

Who lost the Northern Ireland stadium and 100 Million? Nothing to do with planners - just politicians!

Posted by David M | 12.01.09, 16:11 GMT

Dear Mr Wilson
I myself am sad to see the proposal for a 90 million/90 storey building being built in Belfast city centre being turned down by the planning department, but Mr Wilson rules are rules and laws are laws and the people who work for the planning dept have to abide by them like everyone else. Trying to say it is their fault that the building has been turned down is ludicrous as they are only doing their job which is "ticking boxes, interpreting policies and quoting polices" and not "generating jobs, giving people a livelihood or generating economic growth" surely if that was the job of the planning office it would be wide open for "construction corruption and backhanders". Maybe Sammy we should amalgamate the training and employment agency with the planning office and have Seymour Sweeney as the director as he also holds the same views as you do.

Posted by Neil | 12.01.09, 15:16 GMT

Typical of the small minds in this place! We need the Titanic spirit again.

aye. nice one.

lets get the Titanic spirit again so that the building collapses on the first day of completion.

Posted by the titanic spirit. | 12.01.09, 15:14 GMT

It is extremely difficult to imagine anyone less appropriate as planning minister than Sammy Wilson.
His frequently ill informed comments about anything to do with either the environment or planning matters is an embarrassment to his political party and to the assembly as a whole.
He is truely incapable of rational thought and possesses the sensitivity of a rabid heyena.

Posted by Gary | 12.01.09, 13:51 GMT

To be fair just because it is expensive and big it doesnt mean it is right for the situation. If the building looks wholly inappropriate due to its size in the surrounding area it shouldnt be built unless it is a thing of innovative beauty

Posted by soarer | 12.01.09, 13:21 GMT

I think Mr Wilson is spot on with his comments.
Planning in this country needs to change drastically! The process is too slow and too buarocratic.
It also clearly lacks vision too. Some of the buildings that they have allowed to go up in and around the city centre are absolutely shocking! A good example would be the apartments on great victoria street which now block the view of the castle court car park. This building looks hurrendous with little thought for design.

Turning down Aurora is just stupid! The building is clearly of a high spec design and it would help give a lift to a horrible run-down part of our city. It would also help block the horrible concrete box building located next to the sight!

Posted by darren | 12.01.09, 12:35 GMT

Perhaps the planning people turned it down because they were told it was 90 storeys not 37!!!!

Posted by Richard | 12.01.09, 11:53 GMT

Its actually 37 storeys, not 90!

Posted by Dave A | 12.01.09, 10:53 GMT

what do you expect from government mandarins who are in secure jobs with copper bottomed pensions in future. why should they worry about the economy? sammy got it right when he said 'ticking boxes'. maybe the planning dept needs a clearing out of non productive staff and perhaps those left will have a clearer vision of 'planning'!

Posted by ulstermarine | 12.01.09, 10:33 GMT