The Public Voice

"Dear Room with a View,
The planners of this country need to look again at their regulations. I cannot understand how some people can build what they and where they like and ordinary people who have a piece of land can't build on it at all?  These new area plans are going to hit building in the country on the head therefore farmer's children will not be able to build on their own land. I want to know if you will be doing any programme about building in the Down District Council area?"

Joan Fegan

"When will planners start "standing up" to developers and assume a responsibility for the social fabric of an area?  Developers pack in as many apartments as planners will allow and planning decisions seem to taken in isolation - there is no overall policy to protect the social fabric of an area - families are the anchor/backbone of any community yet families do not live in apartments!

One example of the impact of apartment development is Downview Ave on the Antrim Road - an avenue of 45 detached family residences - recent planning decisions mean apartments will now outnumber housing and yet a few avenues away (at Lansdowne Rd) apartments remain unsold!!"

Joanne Cunningham

Where I live in Circular Road Castlerock the side of the road which has a sea view has nine holiday homes. Until about fifteen years ago all these homes had permanent residents.  Each one that came on the market went to wealthy business men mostly from Belfast. The most recent property was desired by a young professional couple but they were outbid by a business man, who when he got possession  demolished a perfectly good building to build a more modern house.

This trend is slowly decimating the community and making it impossible for local young couples to set up home in the place where they grew up.

I understand that Donegal Council has introduced laws where popular sites and locations favoured by second homers can only be purchased by people who intend to be fulltime residents.

I would like Mr Nesbitt to specificly state if he  is going to address this question so that this trend is stopped and that places like Castlerock do not end up like Portballintrae where  the holiday homes, like the ones I live near, are empty up to eleven months of the year.

Robert

I watched your programme for the first time last night and was fascinated by its contents and the procrastination of Dermot Nesbitt. The lack of foresight by the developer from Amsterdam - would he get away with knocking down the Kitchen Bar in Amsterdam - I think not.

I would just like to draw your attention to a small thing. A clip of film showed the Victorian Toilets beside the Customs House, at Donegall Quay. Did you not realise this had been knocked down one Sunday afternoon/pm about 3 weeks ago and the site is now clear?

Belfast has so little of its original heritage it is a disgrace that this was allowed to happen. If they had been opened up to the public, who are now being drawn to the River Lagan, they would have served a very useful purpose.

I would be interested in learning who I can write to on matters such as preserving our heritage, listing buildings, etc before they all disappear.

Joyce Anderson

Can anyone help with Joyce's question about where to write to about listing buildings, etc. If you can, discuss this article at the bottom of the page or email ypam-online@bbc.co.uk - N.I. Editor

In my opinion whether or not a shop is retained in Ballygally is being given too much emphasis. My objection is to a large block of apartments right in the middle of Ballygally Bay.

The proposed underground parking is going to open unto Grace Avenue close to its junction with the Coast Road. Lots of residents, especially children, use this route to walk to the sea front or to get school buses and this would be extremely dangerous as the proposed apartment block would be only two metres from the main road junction. If the application is passed it will set a precedent and how many more will we then have?

Ballygally has already had a new housing development in recent years with a further 33 houses in the process of being built, which has greatly increased the population of this once small seaside village. I grew up in Portballintrae before it was overdeveloped and I do not want to see Ballygally going down that road.

Mary Rainey
Ballygally resident (for 34 years)