We look at the stories that were making the headlines in the Andersonstown News this week back in 1985...
100 homes for Shaws
THE Irish Christian Brothers have applied for planning permission to build houses on their ground at the rear of the Irish Houses on Shaws Road.
The nine acre site was originally intended for a new school, but with the fall in school population the ground has become surplus to educational needs of the area, and the Brothers are anxious to get rid of it. If planning permission is guaranteed then the value of the ground will increase several times over, and the Brothers are likely to make a handsome profit on the £20,000 they are reported to have paid for it about 20 years ago.
Informed sources say that there is little doubt that they will get planning permission because this type of housing development falls in line with housing plans for the West Belfast area. The general policy at the moment is to build houses on every bit of spare ground to help alleviate the chronic housing shortage in the West of the city. The only doubt about the development is that there is only one access to the site from Shaws Road and this could cause some congestion problems. Some experts believe that as many as 100 houses could be built, depending on the type of dwelling used.
Many people believe that it is only a matter of time before the large piece of ground fronting the Shaws Road and Stewartstown Road, opposite Trench House, will be used for housing also.
This ground is owned by the Catholic Church and was originally to be used for a school for the disabled, but this idea has also been scrapped and the school will not now be built.
Stand against the cuts
OVER twelve community and welfare groups have banded together to campaign against the cuts envisaged in the Green Paper on Social Security reform.
The new grouping, called ‘Action for Benefit’ hope to highlight the many inadequacies in the Green Paper, and make submissions which will alleviate its worst effects which in reality mean:
n Large scale privatisation of long established parts of the welfare state;
n A greater reliance on means-tested benefits instead of universal benefits;
n No flexibility to meet individual needs;
n Stigmatising unemployed people and other claimants and encouraging low pay.
Action for Benefits aims to stimulate a public debate on these issues and press for a comprehensive, independent review of the Welfare State that meets the real needs of benefit recipients in Northern Ireland. Accordingly, an initial campaign programme has been prepared as follows:
Phase 1: Publicity campaign documenting the damaging effects of the proposals if implemented using public meetings, demonstrations, lobbies of M.P.'s, Councillors, etc.
Phase 2: Preparation of submissions to Health and Social Services Committee of the Northern Ireland Assembly (August 30th) and to the Government Review Team (September 10th).
Phase 3: Responding to and pre-empting the Government’s legalistic time-table which envisages the simultaneous publication of a White Paper and Social Security Bill in Early November. The campaign hopes to be as flexible and accessible as possible and any individual or organisation is welcome to support its work.
Groups affiliated to the new campaign include:
The Belfast Law Centre, Belfast Centre for the Unemployed, The Northern Ireland Committee I.C.T.U., Belfast Housing Aid, Falls Community Council, The N.I. Citizens Advice Bureau, The Northern Ireland Council for the Handicapped, The Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action, The Assoc. of Legal Advice Centres, Gingerbread N.I., The Centre for Neighbourhood Development, The North Belfast Resource Centre, The National Union of Public Employees.
The new campaign is of vital importance considering some of the harrowing statistics pertaining to the Six Counties.
LANGUAGE GROWTH: Eoghan Ó Neill from Irish language newspaper Lá conducted an Irish language survey in Twinbrook back in August 1985
Full marks for Ardoyne's Irish Nursery School
THE proud parents and teachers of the Ard Eoin Irish Nursery School are pleased as punch with the performance of local children who have been attending the school since it opened less than a year ago.
Last year 15 pupils attended the school, the first ever in North Belfast but this year numbers are expected to jump to 25. Another change this year will be a move to premises from the mobile huts in Ardilea Street to the brand new Community Centre in the heart of Ardoyne itself.
A spokesperson for the Management Committee at the school said that four youngsters who attended the nursery last year would be enrolling in the Scoil Ghaelach at Shaws Road from September 3rd.
"This is no mean achievement when you consider that up until recently there was no educational facilities project in Irish in all of North Belfast,” he said.
"Thanks are due to local people who have contributed so generously to our funds and local language enthusiasts who have thrown their full weight behind the project.”
A public meeting for prospective parents of the nursery was held last week, however, a few places may still be available. For more information contact Ardoyne Community Centre.
