Holywood Exchange 3.26

Holywood Exchange is a major retail development on the borders of Belfast and Holywood, Northern Ireland. It is beside Belfast City Airport, in the townland of Knocknagoney. The site was previously known as D5 and Harbour Exchange. At present the development compromises an 11 unit 13,940 m2 (150,000 ft2) retail warehouse centre with (as of December 2014); Harvey Norman, Next Home, Decathlon, and Wrights Sofaland. Located beside the retail warehouse is a Sainsbury's store and service station, a B&Q store, and an IKEA store. Like the expansion of the Sprucefield development, Holywood Exchange has been controversial and the subject of repeated planning problems and legal disputes.Local firm Osborne King are letting agents for the scheme.HistoryThe first planning application for what was then known as D5 was made by Aquis Estates Limited, Anglia and General Developments Limited and Belfast Harbour Commissioners on 14 November 1995. A five-week public inquiry was held in December 1996 and January 1997. In 1997 the Planning Appeal Commission and the Department of the Environment's Planning Service recommended that approval should be granted. Formal planning permission was granted on 13 April 1999. On 21 June 1999 Belfast City Council and The Belfast Chamber of Trade and Commerce applied for judicial review of the decision to grant planning permission. On 9 July 1999 planning permission for D5 was quashed as it was judged that the Minister did not take the decision with all the relevant information.