Belfast City Council: always ready to approve plans for large private sector health providers

The owners of the Stormont Hotel have been granted change of use planning permission and is planning to turn the property a huge” retirement and healthcare complex”. This his has caused a controversy at the full Council meeting this week as objections were lodged by local residents and politicians, who argued that in order to capitalise on the growing tourism industry hotel accommodation was needed.

Even from the business perspective, alternatives to this proposal exist. A number of commercial buildings in the east of the city are currently not in use but the Stormont Hotel which is still in use as a conference centre with hotel accommodation.

Those presenting the case for all the change of use permissions cited the need for over 800 care and nursing home beds and census data that show the numbers of citizens over 65 and the closing of one home in the area.

The fact that one home has closed in the area should have raised a red flag, given that big companies who run these homes consider patients and residents as commodities. It can be assumed they had empty beds that rendered the home financially unviable.

The Workers Party have in the past challenged the practice of all planning permission being granted by the planning committee and merely rubber stamped by the full council, this way of conducting council business is not open, transparent or democratic.