A planning application for a wastewater pumping station on green space in the Ballybeen estate in Dundonald has been approved by Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council. The decision was made before some residents had an opportunity to submit objections.

The proposal involves construction on council-owned land designated for community recreation, opposite Brooklands Drive. The estate has around 2,400 homes. The plans include underground sewers, several hundred metres of piping, a control centre kiosk, telemetry equipment, and lighting columns.

Residents received letters in the week before the vote stating they could make objections by Friday, August 7. However, the council had already rescheduled its planning committee meeting to Monday, August 3, meaning the decision was taken before the objection deadline.

The proposal passed by a vote of six to two at the committee meeting. Ken Groves, who grew up on the estate and has campaigned against the plans, attended the meeting and said residents were still largely unaware of the proposals.

Groves said the site selection conflicts with council policy requiring projects on recreational ground to show overwhelming benefit to the local community. He said residents did not oppose wastewater infrastructure itself but questioned why Ballybeen was chosen when other sites that would not remove community open space had been disregarded.

Groves also raised concerns about traffic and flooding. He said the one-way street at Brooklands Drive is used by many pupils and parents attending Brooklands Primary School. He said NI Water told the meeting it had no traffic management plan in place for the project. He said local knowledge of flooding at the site was not considered.

A spokesperson for Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council said the council does not respond to live planning applications. The spokesperson added that information about the decision was part of the Planning Committee's deliberations and an audio recording is available online.