Plans for housing in Lagan Valley Regional Park have been opposed by Edwin Poots (DUP)and Claire Hanna (SDLP).
A controversial Lagan Valley housing plan is to be dealt with in the courts.
The Quarterlands Road development in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) has faced significant opposition including from Assembly speaker Edwin Poots ( DUP ) and SDLP leader Clarie Hanna MP.
The 2022 application for 17 homes was set for approval at Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council (LCCC) this week, but was withdrawn as legal proceedings were launched.
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A council spokesperson confirmed details to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) saying:“This application was withdrawn from the schedule and not considered at the planning committee on the 8th September following the receipt of judicial review proceedings.”
The LDRS contacted the residents in opposition to the plans known as the ‘Quarterlands Group’ but said they “understood” another party was behind the judicial review. A spokesperson added: “We remain concerned about issues of sewerage, biodiversity loss and damage to the Lagan Valley Regional Park and the Ramsar site at Belfast Lough. We aim to ensure that local voices are heard in keeping with our rights under Article 6 of the European Convention of Human Rights.”
The group maintains that the site is within the Lagan Valley Regional Park. However, council reports argue “it is not located within the Lagan Valley Regional Park as designated in the Lisburn Area Plan, but it does fall within the Lagan Valley Regional Park designation in both versions of draft Belfast Metroploitan Area Plan”.
The application for the plans is by ‘Quarterlands Road Ltd’, however the names of the landowners have been redacted on council reports.
The LDRS contacted the legal representative of the developer for comment. The plans had been approved in October 2024, but a further agreement with the landowners for additional conditions prevented it from being fully signed off. In chambers (May 2025) elected members had expressed concerns over affordable housing on the site, which may see a “loophole being exploited”. The application was then deferred.
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