Opposition to housing project

Opposition to housing project

15 February 2012 - by DAVID TELFORD

CONCERNED residents have organised a public meeting in Ballynahinch next Monday night to discuss proposals to build new social homes at the Riverside Road in the town.

Representatives from the Apex Housing Association— which wants to build the new homes — are expected to attend the meeting being held at the town’s Market House which gets underway at 7.30pm.

A number of politicians have also expressed concern about social housing plans at Riverside Road, including South Down Assemblyman Jim Wells and councillor Garth Craig.

Mr. Wells believes the “overwhelming majority” of residents in the area are totally opposed to the construction of a “social housing estate.”

The Assemblyman said he was “totally opposed” to a previous application for social housing at this location and claimed the experience of residents since it was built confirms “this is the wrong area for this type of development.”

Mr. Wells continued: “There are many suitable areas for social housing in Ballynahinch but the Riverside Road is not one of these. This is a large area of private housing on the edge of town with no local facilities.

“Housing Associations such as Apex are required to consult the local community before they proceed with any proposal for social housing and I’m confident Apex will be told clearly next week that local people don’t want this type of housing in their area.”

The Assemblyman said if the new regulations compelling housing associations to consult local communities are to mean anything then Apex must listen to the views of the Riverside Road residents and its proposal.

Councillor Craig said the two acre site was granted planning permission for a housing development last year and is alarmed it is now being offered to an investor as a social housing site.

He said everyone had assumed that under the Down Area Plan, the area zoned for housing development would have been for private housing in keeping with the character of the area.

Councillor Craig maintains the Riverside Road is not in the right location for social housing, describing it as a “select area where many people have put a lifetime of investment into their properties and who fear a further slump in house prices as a result of the proposed development.”

He continued: “While I’m not opposed to providing social housing, it needs to be located much closer to the town centre for the convenience of those who live in these developments.

“Social housing developments need to be carefully planned and take into account the views of local residents. To make a decision to build social housing based purely on economic considerations as a bailout for a slow private sector housing market is not in the interest of either those who already live in the area or who would be occupying the houses.”