IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
BT1 6EJ

The view along Queen Street with the extension still under construction.

See Image The building and its proposed replacement by apartments have been the subjects of much public attention including a judicial review of the first decision to give planning permission for the redevelopment. Media reports, during the last week, suggest that the current application will be approved. In the meantime the ground-floor shop, formerly occupied by the Educational Company Limited, seems to have been let. Note: this photograph appears as a matter of neutral record only. I have no connection with the owner, developer or the campaign against its demolition. Continue to Image (April 2012).

See Image (April 2012). The ”Athletic Stores”/Swanston’s warehouse is still standing and vacant. The Ulster Architectural Heritage Society sought a judicial review of the decision to give planning permission for demolition and replacement by apartments and shops. The following is a selective extract from the judgement handed down on 7 February 2014: “This is a challenge to the decisions of 2 May 2012 whereby the respondent [the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland] granted planning permission to Carlisle Property Developments Ltd to demolish a four storey 19th Century warehouse located in Queen Street, Belfast and to construct on the site a seven storey residential/retail development” . . . . . “[69] The problem with this decision is that the Department is not obliged to change the status quo. The instant application is not the end of the line for the building. It is not the only option. If this application were refused, the building would continue in use as it is at the moment for the time being. There would be no necessary detriment to the area. Nothing bad will immediately happen if the building continued in its present use save the effect of time on the fabric of the building which it is estimated will eventually render the building unusable in 30 years in the absence of alternative proposals. [70] To my mind where the Department is obliged to have regard to a presumption, and there are two options available to it, one which respects the presumption, and one which does not, the existence of the presumption-respecting option is a very material consideration and one which must be considered and given its full presumptive weight. [71] Key documents leading to the ultimate decision overlooked the existence of this presumption, and none of the documents gave any or proper consideration to the presumption-respecting option that was open to the department. For this reason I hold that the Department failed to properly take into account a very relevant consideration”.

The building is being cleared internally in preparation for conversion (along with some neighbouring premises) to student accommodation. This is the Queen Street side.

The Queen Street façade held in place by elaborate shoring.

Most of the original Swanston’s warehouse is still hidden by plastic sheeting but the new top floor is clearly visible as is the extension. Unfortunately the extension tends to disappear from view, at close range.

Pictured outside Centra

The view from Queen Street showing the additional floor and the extension (still under construction).

The retained façade from the western end of College Street. The new structure can be seen at bottom right.

Construction of the new top floor (Queen Street side).