Elected representatives on Belfast City Council's Planning Committee have approved a planning application to enable asbestos removal at Wilmont House in Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park.

The application, submitted by Belfast City Council as owner and applicant, seeks consent for enabling works to remove asbestos from the Grade B+ listed building. The council said the work is necessary to allow safe access for a condition survey.

A council planning report states that access to the property has been severely restricted since a 2015 asbestos management survey due to structural integrity concerns. The building's condition has further deteriorated since then. The council intends to hire a licensed asbestos removal contractor to remove all asbestos and contaminated materials from internal ledges and surfaces.

The approval is part of structural and condition assessments to support feasibility work and future public consultations. No interior or exterior development or construction proposals are included in the application.

Wilmont House was built in 1859 as two semi-detached dwellings later combined into one home. Sir Thomas Dixon and Lady Edith Stewart Dixon bought the estate in 1919. Lady Dixon handed the 134-acre demesne to Belfast City Council in 1963 on the condition it become a public park and Wilmont House a care home for the elderly. The nursing home closed in 1992, and the building has been derelict since 2013.

In June, the council allocated £400,000 for immediate remedial and safety measures. Last year, Golden Thread Gallery secured £83,270 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for a feasibility study on using the property as a community and arts space.