A LANDMARK housing development in West Belfast has been completed, marking the transformation of a long-derelict former industrial site into a vibrant mixed-tenure community providing homes for almost 1,000 people.
Radius Housing’s Blacks Gate development, off Blacks Road at Finaghy, comprises 195 social homes and 48 affordable homes for sale, alongside extensive landscaped public open space, community infrastructure, a play park, and sustainable transport initiatives.
The development has transformed the former Visteon car manufacturing site, a 21.5-acre brownfield site which had remained vacant since 2009, into a new neighbourhood designed to respond directly to local housing need.
The £30 million-plus project, with around half of the investment funded through the Department for Communities, represents one of the north’s most significant social and affordable housing developments.
The regeneration of the former Visteon site represents a significant change for the local area. Once a major manufacturing facility, the site had remained vacant for more than a decade and presented substantial challenges, including the need for remediation, demolition, and environmental works including the removal of asbestos. The first homes at Blacks Gate were handed over in summer 2021, with the final works, landscaping, and shared spaces now complete.
The development includes a mix of family homes, apartments, and specialist wheelchair-accessible accommodation. Social and affordable homes have been integrated throughout the scheme alongside private homes, creating a tenure-blind neighbourhood designed to promote inclusion, community cohesion, and a strong sense of place.
Anita Conway, Director of Development, Radius Housing, said: “Blacks Gate is a powerful example of what can be achieved when we are prepared to take on difficult sites, think long-term, and remain committed to a vision through periods of uncertainty and change. What was once a vacant and challenging former industrial site has been transformed into a thriving community, providing much-needed homes for almost 1,000 people. We were grateful to the local community for their forbearance throughout the development of this signature project, which has transformed this gateway into West Belfast.
The new homes at Blacks Gate
“This was not a straightforward project. It involved extensive remediation and demolition, planning and consultation, construction challenges, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, inflationary pressures, and wider economic and political uncertainty. At every stage, however, the objective remained the same: To regenerate this site and deliver high-quality homes and a community that people could be proud to call home.
“Blacks Gate demonstrates the important role housing associations can play in unlocking complex sites that may otherwise remain undeveloped. It also shows the value of partnership, with the support of the local community, elected representatives, government, contractors, consultants, and many others being critical to bringing the project forward.
“Most importantly, the success of Blacks Gate can be seen in the community that has emerged. Families are settled into their homes, children are playing in the park, and a site that was once associated with dereliction has become a place where people can live, grow, and build their futures.
“Blacks Gate shows that difficult does not mean impossible. It is a development that demonstrates what can happen when we are prepared to take calculated risks, overcome obstacles, and remain committed to delivering for communities.”
