A proposal for five new social housing units in Ballynahinch has been submitted.
An application for the Mews Housing project on a vacant gap site at the front of Dromore Street has recently been lodged with council planners by applicant Rejen Architects.
A design and access statement notes that the site lies within the settlement development limit of Ballynahinch.
It explains that the site was previously occupied by a public house, which provided full frontage onto Dromore Street, but was badly damaged by fire and demolished several years ago.
The proposed homes along the street frontage are designed to form a central arch leading to a new shared driveway, providing access to the rear portion of the site.
The document states that the design has been shaped by the established building line and rhythm of Dromore Street, the traditional scale and massing of nearby properties, and existing ridge and eaves heights.
It also references the need to preserve and enhance the character of the streetscape, the constrained urban site layout, and existing underground services, including sewer infrastructure identified in the plans.
The proposed pair of three-bedroom dwellings at the front of the site, arranged either side of a shared driveway, would form an archway providing access to additional housing at the rear.
This layout, the statement says, establishes a defined street frontage while allowing further residential development behind.
The proposal is described as delivering high-quality accommodation in a sustainable town centre location, while respecting surrounding building character, providing safe access for vehicles and pedestrians, ensuring adequate parking, and incorporating inclusive design principles.
The statement concludes that the development represents a “high-quality, contextually sensitive and sustainable” social housing scheme that would contribute positively to Ballynahinch’s urban fabric and deliver much-needed housing within the settlement boundary.
