A planning committee has refused permission for a housing development in Hillsborough after concerns emerged about its impact on a historic wall linked to Hillsborough Castle.

The application for 17-19 Main Street was turned down by Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council’s planning committee following an onsite inspection. The proposed building site backs on to a boundary wall of the castle dating from the early 1800s, now the Northern Ireland residence of King Charles III.

A council report stated the development would require excavation to a depth of about three metres close to the wall. During the meeting, the Department for Communities’ Historic Environment Division (HED) told the committee it had no objection to the scheme subject to conditions, including a structural survey of the wall.

However, councillors heard that further council conservation policies had not been met. A council officer outlined eight reasons for refusal, two of which related to historic environment matters, and noted that the required structural survey should have been lodged with the application.

Councillor Nicholas Trimble questioned whether there was any risk to the integrity of the wall and whether HED’s position could be made a formal condition. Alderman Owen Gawith raised the possibility of deferring the decision to allow conditions to be addressed, but the idea failed to gain support amid concerns about planning processing delays.

The application was then formally refused by the committee.