SUMMERHILL RETIREMENT LIVING

The project is being taken forward by Summerhill Retirement Developments Limited. Summerhill Retirement Developments Limited is an investment-backed venture exploring retirement living development opportunities at a prime East Belfast site, 587 Upper Newtownards Road.

Summerhill Retirement Developments Ltd is an investment-backed venture established solely for the purposes of exploring retirement living development opportunities in Northern Ireland. This application represents the entity’s first expression of interest in the NI market.

The Hastings Hotels Group was approached by Summerhill’s Planning Agent, Turley, to notify the Group that their client intends to seek planning permission for the development of a high quality retirement village and associated healthcare and medical facilities. The securement of planning permission will support Summerhill’s future investment decisions on the proposed site.

As this is a speculative planning exercise being undertaken by a third party, there is no impact on the operations of the Stormont Hotel.

Summerhill is led by a team that has decades of experience in later living, residential and healthcare development. Subject to planning permission being granted Summerhill will progress with its due diligence process to identify suitable long term investment partners and end use operator(s).

Belfast City Council will play a number of roles as the project progresses.

Planning

The detailed planning application will be submitted to Belfast City Council Planning Department. In their role as the statutory planning authority the planning department will manage the statutory planning process and determine the planning application.

Wider Council (Non-planning role)

The Council, including elected reps for the area, will also be kept up to date throughout the development.

This outline planning application is being submitted by Summerhill as part of a speculative due diligence procedure to understand the site’s feasibility and long-term investment potential for retirement and healthcare uses.

The site is located on lands at 587 Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast and occupies 4.6 acres / 1.86 ha of land.

Summerhill Retirement Developments Ltd is seeking planning permission for the development of a new retirement living complex comprising independent and assisted living apartments, a hig quality care home, and associated healthcare and medical facilities.

The project is being privately funded. We are not in a position to disclose anything further at this stage.

This is a speculative outline planning application we are currently undertaking an economic appraisal that will inform the planning application, and assess the long-term investment and employment redevelopment of the site for retirement living and healthcare.

This outline planning application is being undertaken as part of a speculative due diligence procedure to understand the site’s feasibility and long-term investment potential for retirement and healthcare uses. It is therefore premature to engage with end operators however existing providers of the retirement living complex services will be consulted in order to apply best practice to the design proposals.

Hastings continues to operate the Stormont Hotel as a successful hotel and conference venue and therefore currently has no plans to close the Stormont Hotel. As this is a speculative planning exercise being undertaken by a third party, there is no impact on the staff retention of the Stormont Hotel. There will be no discussions in relation to redundancies or hotel closure and all future discussions related to such are subject to Summerhill’s feasibility assessment and continued interest. All existing accommodation and event bookings remain unaffected.

The proposed retirement living complex comprises four main components: independent and assisted living apartments, a high quality care home, and medical and health care related facilities.

The independent living offer is accommodated in a group of new builds located within what is currently used as the main hotel car park. The proposed residential development element of the scheme is in keeping with the residential character of the surrounding Upper Newtownards Road neighbourhood.

Meanwhile the assisted living homes will include apartments delivered in a mix two and three apartments with shared accommodation. The homes will be complimented by soft landscaping to complement the surrounding area and enhance the serenity of the community.

The proposals would seek to convert the existing Stormont Hotel structure to a high quality care home. The care home facilities will include bedrooms with support accommodation facilities (stores, disabled WCs, assisted bathrooms, sluice rooms).

The design of the overall development will be fully developed at reserved matters stage and will ensure the protection of the privacy and residential amenity of nearby residents, in accordance with planning policy.

The provision of a new associated healthcare and medical facilities could deliver a range of services, research or treatment such as a dental practice, physiotherapy, occupational therapy etc.). The scale of facilities and services provision, and as a result the potential patient capacity, is yet to be determined and will be subject to input from medical care specialists and operators, and subject to further detailed (full) planning approval.

The primary access into the retirement living development will be via the Upper Newtownards Road. There will be no through access between Upper Newtownards Road and Castleview Road.

An overall Transport Assessment will be conducted to support the application of the proposed mix of uses within this outline plan. Subsequently Transport Assessments will be undertaken for each reserved matters application to project trip generation for each component of the retirement living development.

An assessment of the project traffic movements to and from the retirement living development will be provided for this application. The development team will also consider the implementation of a travel plan with the development which will encourage the use of alternative modes of transport to the private car, taking advantage of the accessible location of the site.

Parking will be provided to meet appropriate requirements for facilitate each element of the development. Spaces will be assigned to the independent and assisted living accommodation and allocated to the care home for visitors, staff parking and emergency vehicle access. Additional spaces will also be made available for patients, visitors and staff of the medical facility.

The proposed development is situated in a highly sustainable location with a strong access to a range of alternative modes of transport. The site benefits from excellent pedestrian infrastructure with a full integrated network of footways.

In terms of public transport, the site is well-serviced primarily by bus services. The site benefits from a Belfast Metro bus stop and a nearby Glider halt located within a 5 minute walk of the proposed site. Glider services operate at a high frequency of 7-minute intervals at peak times.

The application is anticipated to be submitted in Autumn 2022.

Subject to planning permission being granted for the outline application and the results of the wider due diligence process, each component of the outline proposals would be subject to individual reserved matters applications.

As the project is considered a ‘major planning application’ we have submitted a proposal of application notice (PAN) to Belfast City Council, beginning a period of formal community consultation before a planning application is submitted later this year.

Feedback received will be analysed and will be used to inform the final planning application. A Pre-application community consultation report will be submitted alongside the planning application.

This consultation is open to all members of the public and we welcome feedback from members of the public, neighbouring businesses and elected representatives.

There are a number of additional ways you can comment. You can do this by:

Email: contact@summerhillretirement.co.uk

Online: Completing the online feedback form here or join a live chat on the website (www.summerhillretirement.co.uk).

Consultation Hotline: 0808 1688 296

Post: Send a letter to: Turley, Hamilton House, 3 Joy Street, Belfast, BT2 8LE.

Feedback to the pre-application period closes on 01 September 2022. Once the application has been submitted comments can be made to the Belfast City Council Planning Department.

All feedback submitted will be summarised in a Pre-Application Community Consultation Report which will be submitted alongside the planning application. Personal details will not be shared with a third party and we will not contact you in relation to any other project or for marketing purposes.

The information you provide will be stored securely until determination of the planning applications. Following determination, this information will be deleted. Unless you have indicated otherwise, we will not contact you about this development.

Ultimately the planning application will be determined by the Belfast City Council Planning Committee, comprised of local elected representatives. This decision will follow the statutory planning process whereby all statutory consultees will provide comment on the application. During the process the public will be able to view all information online and comment if they wish.

The Council’s planning department will make a recommendation to the Belfast City Council Planning Committee who then consider the application on its planning merits.