§ Mr. Robert McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what areas of the Stormont estate have been taken over for(a) building and (b) paving since 1 January 1993; for what purposes and what planning permission was sought; what buildings are temporary; and how many car parking spaces are provided on the Stormont estate. [37160]
§ Mr. Paul MurphySince 1 January 1993, 3.31 acres in total of the Stormont Estate have been used for the sites of new temporary buildings (2.782 acres) or paving (.526 acres). The requirement for additional accommodation was brought about as a consequence of the fire in Parliament Buildings, the need to relieve overcrowding in other buildings in the Estate and to make provision for the political negotiations at Block B, Castle Buildings, which also required the creation of new car parking facilities elsewhere.
While the Crown is not bound by planning legislation, there is a procedure by which the Planning Service is consulted before Crown development proceeds. This consultation procedure was not followed in relation to the erection of a number of temporary buildings in the Stormont Estate because they were urgently required, namely:
6 Temporary Buildings in Main Castle Buildings Car ParkTemporary building at Block B for press and cateringTemporary accommodation within walled garden at Stormont CastleTemporary building at Massey Avenue.Other buildings erected after 1 January 1993, namely a temporary building at Craigantlet Buildings and a temporary store at Maynard Sinclair Pavilion, followed consultation procedure with the Planning Service.
There are presently 2,261 parking slots in the Stormont Estate.