The newly built warehouse in Toomebridge
A planning application, for a change of use of a vacant storage unit to a gym facility at 4, Airfield Road, Toomebridge, was approved at last Tuesday’s (February 4) Planning committee meeting of Mid Ulster District Council, despite residual concerns regarding risks of flooding.
The planning application was lodged by CMI Planners, Airfield Road, Toomebridge, on behalf of Sean Corr, who is based at a different address on the Airfield Road.
Planning permission had previous been granted for the change of use, however one of the planning conditions stated that the finished floor levels should be raised to a minimum level of 15.15OD, to accommodate gym equipment such as trampolines.
Ordnance Datum (OD) serves as a reference point for measuring altitudes and heights – usually the Mean Sea Level (MSL).
Inside of the warehouse building
Floor plan for the gymnastics gym
Raising the floor levels would have incurred considerable costs, as it would have involved major structural change to the fabric of the building, and there was another very practical issue – trampolining requires adequate ‘head height’, and reducing floor levels would have limited it.
The case was first presented at the January 2025 Planning Committee, with a recommendation for refusal.
Following speaking rights and a discussion of the case, it was agreed that further clarity be provided by the Planning department, in relation to the history of the shed as well as the flood plain and flood history at the site.
A month on, a new Planning report clarified the following points:
“The site is located entirely within the ‘1 in 100 year’ fluvial flood plain, and this is confirmed by the NI Flood Maps and Rivers Agency.
“The shed was originally approved for Class B2 storage on November 20, 2020, and was most likely built to completion some time after June 2023.
“The NI Flood Maps show no record of historical flooding at the site.
“Following comments raised at the January Planning Committee and follow-up office discussions, it is agreed that [the requirement to raise floor levels] can be removed in this current application.
“The reasons for this are as follows: The finished floor levels are already above the predicted 1 in 100 year flood level, albeit not to the level recommended by Rivers Agency; Rivers Agency’s recommendation to raise floor levels are advisory only; there is no record of historical flooding at the site.”
The report ends on a cautious note, stating: “The applicant is still advised to take heed of comments raised by Rivers Agency.”
The recommendation to approve the planning application was proposed by Councillor Donal McPeake (Sinn Féin, Moyola DEA) and seconded by Councillor Kerri Martin (SDLP, Cookstown DEA).