New ‘village’
sees progress

Forming part of ‘Thaxton Village’, the development will include 650 houses, as well as a supermarket, petrol station, food outlets and, most significantly for the local community, a doctor’s surgery.

An outline planning application was first lodged for the scheme over ten years ago in 2003.

In 2007 the Planning Service granted outline planning permission and it has taken over seven years for the final Reserved Matters application to the lodged.

The Reserved Matters application will clarify issues with the application and additional drawings have been submitted, giving details of the elevations of the houses, retails units and doctor’s surgery, as well as site layouts and floor plans.

The scheme will also include car parking and landscaping in the area close to Ballymacash Primary School.

Lagan Valley MLA Jonathan Craig said the local community was “content” with the plans for the area but he insisted that major road infrastructure needed to be carried out in the area before the scheme was completed.

Mr Craig said there had been some concern over additional shops being built in the area, that would impact on other shopkeepers in the vicinity but that the doctor’s surgery would be most welcome.

“I am broadly in favour of this application,” said Mr Craig.

“There is concern about competition in the area and that this will further dilute an already diluted service. However, it will bring more choice to local people.

“The existing facilities for doctors in Lisburn is stretched. Anything that extends the GP facilities for people in that area is good news.

“The community is generally content but the road infrastructure needs to be improved in the area as a matter of urgency.”