PLANS to build 23 new social homes in the Lenadoon area have been given the green light by Belfast City Council.
Proposals to demolish the Housing Executive-owned flats on Corrib Avenue to make way for the new Choice Housing development were approved at Tuesday night's Planning Committee meeting.
An application to build 13 houses and 10 apartments was initially submitted in July 2020, with Choice Housing expressing hope that plans would be approved in January or February of this year. However, the proposals had previously stalled as Belfast City Council awaited outstanding submissions from DfI Roads and Choice Housing.
The flats on Corrib Avenue, which are comprised on three blocks, have been a hotspot for antisocial behaviour in recent months, with residents and community reps making repeated calls for their demolition.
Two of the three blocks currently lie derelict, but a third block has not yet to be cleared of all residents.
This week, Sinn Féin Councillor Arder Carson welcomed progress on the plans to build new social homes.
"This will be another staging point in this whole process of getting Corrib done," he said.
"The planning application is now through and it really is over to the Housing Executive to get the flats demolished.
"For Choice, the delivery will probably be in the '22/'23 financial year, but we want the Housing Executive to move quickly, which they can."
A delegation of political and community reps met with the Chief Executive of the Housing Executive, Grainia Long, last Thursday to press for the demolition of the existing flats.
Cllr Carson said the meeting "went fairly well".
"She was certainly open to listening, she acknowledged the ongoing issues, recognised that it was a housing-led regeneration scheme, and we reinforced the point that it is time to get it done" he said.
There are some things that the Housing Executive needs to complete, but in terms of the demolition of the empty blocks and garages, there is nothing curtailing that."
