Green light tipped for animal health sciences facility

Plans to construct a new animal health sciences building in Belfast look set to progress.An application, which will go before Belfast planning committee next week (18 October), looks to build the three-storey building, alongside a general stores building, post mortem suite and carcass incineration space.The aim of the facility is to provide statutory testing as well as analytical services, emergency response capability and research.Located at 12 Stoney Road, within the 12.6-acre Agri-Food Science and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) estate, the facility will replace the current Veterinary Sciences Division main building which was erected in the 1960’s and is “no longer fit for purpose”.The existing base will be demolished to make way for the upgraded 85,648 sq ft centre.Landscaping proposals include a large number of new tees, dense shrub planting zones, wildflower areas and grassed areas to create a green parkland environment.The scheme will go before the council with the recommendation for approval.