Delays to the planned demolition of tower blocks is leaving some Housing Executive tenants in “limbo”, including the last remaining residents of a dilapidated Belfast block “infested” with mice and mold.
Just a handful of apartments in Ross House, in north Belfast’s Mount Vernon area, remain occupied as the building is among those earmarked for demolition under the Housing Executive’s (HE) Tower Block Action Plan.
Approved in 2019, the £308m plan outlines a mix of “retention, re-provision and disposal” of the HE’s 32 remaining towers, and so far just one of those earmarked for demolition under Phase 1 of the plan has faced the wrecking ball.
The plan has been hit by delays, including over asbestos surveys and mobile phone masts, which have prevented the demolition of several due to have been carried out by the end of 2024.
Ross House, a 13-story tower built in the 1960s, is among those to be demolished under Phase 1 of the plan, and was initially due for disposal within five years of its launch.
In an Autumn 2024 update on the action plan, the HE said the clearance of Ross House was ongoing, “with planned demolition expected to commence in Summer/Autumn 2025″.
However, at least four apartments remain occupied in the building, with one couple saying they still had no idea on when they will be rehoused.
Jason has lived in the building for almost 30 years, and his wife Julie for 12. The couple asked for their surname not to be used.
They reside in their apartment on one of the upper floors, the walls of which are damp and covered in mould patches, and say they fear for their health if forced to continue to reside in the property much longer.
“We’re in a state of limbo, and no-one seems to know if or when we will be offered a new place to live,” Jason said.
“We were told of the demolition plan many years ago now, but who knows when we will actually be moved?
“The building is freezing cold and we have to live with this mould on the walls. My wife has asthma, and we’re both really worried that staying here is making her condition worse. We are wary of trying to do any work ourselves in case it’s money wasted if we do finally get our new place.
“The tower is so run down it’s infested with mice and pigeons, and we’ve even caught mice here in our flat. It’s not fit for purpose, and when we call the Housing Executive for updates, we don’t feel like we get any concrete answers as to our future living arrangements.”
So far, only Monkscoole House in Newtownabbey has been demolished under the action plan, with the 15-storey tower razed in 2023.
Two blocks in the Seymour Hill area between Belfast and Lisburn had been due for demolition in summer of 2023, but remain standing due to issues over an asbestos survey and legal proceedings over the removal of a telephone mast on top of on of the buildings.
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An NIHR spokesperson said “significant progress” has been made on the action plan, and five more tower blocks have now been cleared in preparation for demolition.
“Our original timescales for clearance and demolition have taken longer than anticipated but we are now progressing tenders for the demolition of these blocks in 2025,” they said.
“Rehousing residents of Ross House is ongoing with the expectation that this will be complete within the coming months.
“Whilst clearance is ongoing, our consultant continues to prepare the demolition scheme and we anticipate going to market in mid-2025 to appoint a demolition contractor.”
The spokesperson added: “We continue to keep residents and community representatives updated on any changes to our proposed timescales, both through local consultation by our Area Offices and through our twice yearly Tower Blocks Newsletter.”
