Permission given for partial demolition of burnt out North Street listed building

Council report says demolition should be "sooner rather than later" after CCTV shows people scaling safety barrier to get into damaged building

A Victorian listed building which was burnt out in Belfast City Centre this year will be partially demolished.

166 - 174 North Street, at the northernmost point of the city centre thoroughfare beside the dual carriageway at Peter’s Hill, was burnt out in May. Six fire engines, two aerial appliances and 40 firefighters were involved in the operation to douse the fire, which is being investigated as a criminal offence.

The building, known as “Merchant’s Building” and the “Barewood Building,” was listed in 2017 along with other neighbouring buildings. The redbrick and sandstone building was built in 1899, and from 1901 to 1907 was the home of Belfast's Municipal School of Art. Throughout the 20th century the building was used as offices, warehouse and shops, but had become derelict.

Read more: Belfast Council to reduce "alarming" temporary agency worker bill

It was the latest in a series of fires in Belfast City Centre in recent years. In April a blaze at the site of a former nightclub at May’s Meadow was treated as a suspicious fire by the police. Last October the listed Old Cathedral Building in the Cathedral Quarter was gutted by fire. In 2018 an accidental work fire at the Primark Bank Buildings transformed the city centre for over four years.

At a special meeting of the Belfast City Council Planning Committee this week, elected representatives agreed to the partial demolition of the building, subject to conditions, after council officers recommended an application by developers ES North Street Limited, of Drury Lane, London.

After the fire in May the council’s building control service issued a dangerous structures notice. A safety cordon is currently in place around the building and Samuel Street to the immediate south is temporarily closed.

The application sought listed building consent for partial demolition of the rear of the building to make the building safe. The works relate to the most significantly damaged parts of the building.

The council’s Building Control report states: “The view of the Building Control Service is that the rear return to 166-174 North Street is so badly damaged and so structurally compromised that the only safe course of action is to demolish it.

"Our view is that the sooner this can be done the better, especially given the fact that the owner has video footage from fixed CCTV's of people scaling the heras fencing forming the safety cordon to access the damaged building.”

Policy on fire damaged listed buildings states: “Proposals for the total demolition of a listed building or any significant part of it must not be permitted unless there are exceptional reasons why it cannot be retained in its original or a reasonably modified form.

“Where consent to demolish a listed building is granted, this should normally be conditional on prior agreement for the redevelopment of the site and appropriate arrangements for recording the building prior to its demolition.”

It adds: “There will be a presumption in favour of retaining listed buildings. Total demolition of listed buildings will only be permitted in highly exceptional circumstances.

“Where listed building consent is granted for demolition this will be conditional on prior agreement for the redevelopment of the site and appropriate arrangements for recording the building before its demolition.

“Partial demolition of parts of listed buildings will be wholly exceptional and only acceptable where an alteration or extension proposal has been agreed and that demolition is required to facilitate it.”

The Stormont Historic Environment Division at the Department for Communities stated: “It is a landmark building when viewed from Millfield and Carrick Hill and is one of three remaining late Victorian buildings surviving in this former historic commercial area, thus providing important historic context.

Click this link or scan the QR code to receive breaking news and top stories from Belfast Live. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

“Architecturally, the building is typical of the period, of red brick with good quality terracotta detailing to the principal façade facing onto North Street, and symmetrically arranged. As the location of the former Art School, as well as a centre of commerce, the building is also of social and cultural interest.”

It added: “‘Ideally, redevelopment proposals should accompany this application. As health and safety concerns have been considered and assessed to take priority over all other concerns, such as the protection of built heritage, then HED advises that the least adverse redevelopment approach should be adopted, i.e., to match existing in terms of scale, massing, height, including materiality and so on.

“In addition, HED also acknowledges the health and safety concerns caused by this significant fire to the listed building and the integrity of the structure. Therefore, should council be minded to approve the scheme, while we consider that the full policy tests have not been met fully, we advise that any permission should be subject to conditions requiring adequate recording of the portion to be demolished, protection of the portion to be retained and agreement for proposed appropriate replacement.”

One of the conditions of the Planning Committee approval is that works must be begun within one year from the date of the consent.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.