uuptoday.org

Ulster Unionist Councillor and member of the Greater Village Regeneration Trust, Bob Stoker today backed Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie after an open letter, circulated to people on the Donegall Road by DUP Councilor Jimmy Spratt, who accused Minister Ritchie of having the wrong priorities on her Housing Budget.

Mr Stoker said Margaret Ritchie is not at fault in not securing the funding for social new builds, the fault lies with Peter Robinson and his budget allocation choices. In a statement Mr Stoker said,

“In the draft DSD budget there isn’t anywhere near enough to meet Minister Ritchie’s department commitments for this year that have to be paid next year.

DSD is going to have to enter into “partnership” with the private sector to be able to generate the money

DSD got 37% of what it asked for – it bid for money for its usual 1500 houses (£160m) plus an additional 500 for URA’s (Urban Renewal Areas).

Of the 1500 improvement programmes scheduled for the next year nothing will now be done. As for DSD’s normal social housing programme, nothing will now be done.

There are 36,000 people on the social housing waiting list for Northern Ireland – housing is supposed to be one of the priorities for the Executive!

We are entering unchartered territory, DSD has never been in this position before and it is grossly unfair and hypocritical of the DUP to blame Margaret Ritchie for the shortcomings and decision making of Finance Minister Peter Robinson. I would ask Mr Spratt what happened to the £1 Billion package that the DUP promised was a pre-requisite to devolution? Some of this promised £1 Billion could have made significant in-roads into tackling the problems affecting the Social Housing sector. But as usual the DUP try and blame someone else”.

UUP South Belfast Cllr. Bob Stoker today questioned Police response times after a number of repeated attacks on residents on the Loyalist side of the Westlink/RodenStreet area and said he was particularly worried about the potential for further attacks this coming weekend.

In a statement Mr Stoker, who strongly condemned the attacks, said,

“There have been a recent and increasing spate of attacks on residents in the Roden Street area from the other side of the Westlink. Projectiles and other missiles are being hurled across at properties and endangering lives. Residents have indicated to me that they are particularly concerned at the poor response of the PSNI in getting to the scene promptly.

I am concerned that the weekend will see an escalation in the number of attacks, which I condemn completely. These attacks are designed to provoke a response and I trust that residents on the Loyalist side will not be sucked in nor stoop to this deliberate provocation.

The PSNI, given the repeated nature of the attacks, should be standing ready to respond quickly this weekend. Residents have reported having to wait upwards of half an hour for a response. This to me and them is unacceptable.”

UUP South Belfast Candidate Bob Stoker is calling on Government to fast track the community proposals for housing regeneration in the Village area of South Belfast. In a statement toady he voiced the strong anger of the community in that area.

Mr Stoker said,

“Redevelopment” has been the word on everyone’s lips within the community of the Donegall Road and Village area over the past 20 months. In years past, the community could not agree upon a way forward to improve housing. The Housing Executive then walked away, leaving the area to market forces, but due to a number of factors in recent years, the community have agreed intervention is needed to a greater extent.

The community has voiced its anger and frustration at the lack of action from various government departments to address the range of problems. Slowly but surely these are being addressed with the last element being housing. Living conditions for many within the Village area are totally unacceptable, with many of the houses having only two bedrooms and outside toilets. Families have been forced to leave the area, in search of more suitable family–sized dwellings – both social and private housing types; which in turn has led to further deterioration and dereliction.

When the Sandy Row and Village Task force was formed, it set out to address the needs of Protestant working class areas. The report overwhelmingly presented the need for urgent intervention in order to improve the housing conditions in the Village area. I am questioning where is the sense of urgency by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and the Department of Social Development. Have they another hidden agenda for this community?

The community have already carried out a consultation exercise with a 74% response favouring full redevelopment; they want maximum regeneration. Numerous survey responses included comments about how terrible the area has become and if nothing is done, they would be forced to leave. On a regular basis, families leave the area because of the poor housing conditions. Until intervention is actioned the community will be lost and the area will be taken over by property developers and investors. Surveys received from the older generation of the community expressed their concern over the dramatic decline of the area in recent years. They remember an area, with good housing for that time, busy shops and a strong community.

This community is disgusted at the blight of derelict properties remaining uninhabited and falling into further disrepair, and the associated effects on adjoining properties. The residents are angered at the level of depravation in the area, and the fact that the locality is one of the last remaining areas in Belfast to be redeveloped. I along with them are demanding action now.”

Ulster Unionist South Belfast assembly candidate, Bob Stoker, has calling for the process of providing Digital Hearing Aids to be speeded up in Northern Ireland.

In a statement, the Belfast Lord Mayor said: “Most other parts of the United Kingdom have implemented the practise of issuing new digital aids to all hard-of-hearing people through the NHS.

“But a great number of people in South Belfast are still on a long waiting list for these aids.

“There is evidence that digital aids last much longer than the old style analogue devices so there is an economic argument for providing the newer aids on a quicker basis.

“There are many thousands of people that are suffering from hearing loss and are hard of hearing, and they should be treated as equals by the government. New digital aids should be issued as a matter of urgency.”