Council’s Planning Committee has granted planning permission for several major developments across the city, this month. A new hotel in the Botanic area has been given the green light. Permission was granted for the 164-bedroom hotel by applicant, Andras House, with ground floor bar and restaurant at the junction of Botanic Avenue and Donegall Pass. The site for the new hotel is currently used as a surface level car park and retail and office unit. The Planning Committee also approved an application for change of use from office space and storage at Adelaide Business Centre – for a leisure development with bowling alley, restaurant, indoor golf, children’s soft play, VR zone and amusements and parking at the site. Permission was also given for the erection of a drive through café at lands near Lidl supermarket and Olympia Leisure Centre on the Boucher Road. Other applications approved were a council application for Street Art on the façade of the former Belfast Telegraph building in Royal Avenue at Donegall Street. Councillor Ryan Murphy, chair of Belfast City Council’s Planning Committee, said: “It’s further good news for tourists and visitors to Belfast to have another major hotel development approved, this time - in the Botanic area. “This new hotel will be close to shops, bars and restaurants and other local visitor attractions like Botanic Gardens and the Ulster Museum. It’s also walking distance to the city centre and close to Botanic station which provides public transport links to the wider city and beyond including Lanyon Place and St George’s Market and Titanic Quarter and SSE Arena and Titanic Belfast, among other great attractions. “The Planning Committee also approved a new leisure complex on the Apollo Road, Boucher, with bowling alley, soft children’s play area and indoor golf which is fantastic news for residents and families in the city.”