A NORTH Belfast housing campaigner is calling for social housing to be built on a site that has lain vacant for over 50 years.
The waste ground at Clifton Street area sits at the corner of Regent Street and Stanhope Street.
The site was previously earmarked for student accomodation but fell through following the collapse of the Northside project.
Frank Dempsey from Carrick Hill Residents' Association now wants the land earmarked for much-needed social housing.
"I have been campaigning for this site since the demolition of Unity Flats," he explained.
"I have met every Communities Minister over the years about the site and still there has been no progress.
"It was also earmarked for student accommodation. If it was good enough for student accommodation under the Northside scheme why is it not good enough for social housing?
"There are over 5,000 people on the housing waiting list for North Belfast. We can’t let site after site be wasted when there is such a need for social housing."
A Department for Communities spokesperson said: “The Department will consider the acquisition of land for housing in areas where there is an identified housing need.
"The use of vesting powers will be considered only after attempts to acquire a site by agreement have been exhausted and following legal opinion on the necessity and likely success of any vesting proposal.”
