UUP seeks assurances over Titanic Quarter Homes
Paula Bradshaw, UUP Urban Regeneration spokesperson is today calling on Arlene Foster to provide more assurances that Phase two of the Titanic Quarter, for which outline planning permission has been granted, will actually match up to the hype being created.
In a statement Paula, who is also the Director of the Greater Village Regeneration Trust in South Belfast, said,
“There is talk of 2000 new residential units for the development, some of them are being described as affordable homes and social dwellings: in the absence of a defined government policy on how the “affordable homes” agenda is to be rolled out, pending the adoption of the recommendations of the Interdepartmental Affordability Review Implementation Group currently considering Semple’s report, it is unclear as to how this is to be implemented and enforced.
In the case of “social housing” provision it is evident from the Laganside example in Belfast’s government-led inner-city urban regeneration processes this tends to equate to single unit dwellings. The Ulster Unionist Party is calling for assurances that lifetime home standards are incorporated into the overall development. There is an urgent need to provide family size houses in East Belfast, particularly so close to the City centre. Families provide a sense of stability and the bedrock of any sustainable community. With falling roll numbers in the local primary schools, for example, it is important that the Titanic development contributes to the reversal of the population decline.
If the 2000 residential units are small apartments then there will be the usual rush from private investors and landlords seeking to make a profit from the project that is being hailed as a turning point for Belfast’s economy. The families of Belfast should be the real winners from this new development by being encouraged to set up home here.”