A fire on the grounds of a derelict school in east Belfast on Sunday night is being treated as arson.
Residents on the Upper Newtownards Road had been warned about airborne asbestos after the blaze at a derelict building.
This was understood to be on the grounds of Cabin Hill, a former preparatory school of Campbell College.
The Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service later confirmed the cause of fire was “deliberate ignition” and that the incident had been dealt with by 9.25pm.
A total of five fire appliances and a command support unit had attended the scene, with firefighters using breathing apparatus, water jets and a thermal image camera to extinguish the flames.
Cabin Hill School for sale sign. PICTURE: MAL MCCANN
Aerial photos taken on Monday appear to show no obvious damage to the former school’s main structure.
Now derelict, the B2 listed building dates back to 1860 and was once the residence of Northern Ireland’s first Prime Minister James Craig and the setting for several cabinet meetings.
Official letters sent by Craig in 1922 to Irish revolutionary Michael Collins were also said to be marked ‘Cabin Hill’.
‘The First Northern Ireland Cabinet’ pictured outside Cabin Hill in 1921. PICTURE: CAMPBELL COLLEGE
On Tuesday, Belfast City Council’s planning committee will discuss the site as part of an application to build 53 new homes including 10 apartments.
A development report listed on the council website states the Cabin Hill building itself is not part of the initial development plans, but that conditional planning approval is in place to convert the building into 12 apartments.
It also acknowledges that “the conversion of the listed building to apartments is not certain and may not be delivered”.
The former Cabin Hill School in east Belfast. PICTURE: MAL MCCANN
The report recommends granting planning permission, subject to various conditions including protecting trees and ensuring bats are not disturbed by the construction.
Information from the developers, Fermac Properties, says the proposed development would transform the unique site into “a vibrant residential community”.
Once planning permission is secured, they say development would begin as soon as possible and “promises to deliver exceptional living spaces in a prime location, offering both modern living and a sense of exclusivity”.