Campaigners in north Belfast have raised fresh concerns about the loss of social housing sites to commercial development in the area.
Over recent years several prominent sites earmarked for social housing have been used by private developers to provide accommodation for students attending Ulster University’s Belfast campus.
Local housing activists have spoken out as work continues on a new apartment block just yards from St Patrick’s Church in Donegall Street.
The prime site is adjacent to Carrick Hill, where there is a housing shortage, and was previously pinpointed for social accommodation.
Other potential housing sites in the area have also been lost to development, including at nearby Frederick Street, where one was later turned into a multi-level car park.
Potential housing sites at Nelson Street, and Stephen Street have also been acquired by private developers, with local campaigners fearing more will follow.
Frank Dempsey, of Carrick Hill Residents Association, said his group will continue to highlight the housing shortage in the area.
“Our association will continue to oppose these huge developments as they have a serious impact on the Carrick Hill community,” he said.
“They also do nothing to shorten the chronic housing waiting list in north Belfast.”
“There are three remaining sites within the Carrick Hill Area, sites which we thought we had an agreement on with the support of political parties, only once again this has been turned on its head.”
Mr Dempsey said that despite agreement between political parties, the Housing Executive and Choice Housing Association, three other parcels of land have been included in the Inner North-West Masterplan, which is designed to create a new city centre mixed neighbourhood.
Mr Dempsey said a “provision” that there is a mix of social, private and affordable homes is a “far cry from the original proposals”.
“One housing association has already responded stating maximum put back of apartments on all sites,” he added.
Gerard Brophy of St Patrick’s and St Joseph’s Housing Association said both Belfast City Council and the Department for Communities have failed to deliver new homes in the Carrick Hill area.
He referenced the demolition of high-rise stock in parts of Belfast, including in the Carrick Hill, Divis and New Lodge districts.
“If this is the thinking of both Belfast City Council and the Department of Communities as a solution to the housing crisis that besets north Belfast, God help us.”
“Let us be abundantly clear, it’s not a solution, it’s only another demolition campaign for the future generation of our children.”
A spokesman for the Department for Communities said: “The Minister has stressed the need for more social homes to be built across Northern Ireland.
“The Department for Communities continues to collaborate with Belfast City Council to bring forward city centre sites for development in line with our shared regeneration objectives.”
A Belfast City spokesperson said provision of housing is not a statutory function for local councils but that “a cross-public sector group has been established in Belfast to drive forward housing-led regeneration across all tenures”.
“This includes an ongoing strategic assessment of public sector lands for housing and the progression of housing-led regeneration proposals for a number of council-owned and other public sector lands,” he said. “Specifically within the inner north-west area of the city centre, council and the Department for Communities are currently progressing a development brief process, with housing associations, for the delivery of a residential-led mixed-use scheme on lands owned by both bodies.”
The spokesman added that this will “help address housing need in the area, in line with Belfast Agenda’s inclusive growth ambitions, as well as unlocking regeneration and wider connectivity opportunities”.
