RESIDENTS of the New Lodge tower blocks say plans to demolish the high-rises are no further on – six years after first being announced by the Housing Executive.
The Housing Executive Tower Blocks Action Plan, which addresses the future of 33 tower blocks in its ownership, was approved in March 2019. Five years on, the seven tower blocks in the New Lodge are still standing.
In an update last autumn, Oisín House in the New Lodge is part of Phase One of demolition which is due to take place in a one-five-year time-frame. Fianna House and Finn House are included in Phase Two demolition with a six-ten-year time-frame. Cúchulainn House, Eithne House, Gráinne House and Maeve House are included in the final Phase Three demolition which has a ten-year time-frame.
Last week, representatives from St Patrick's and St Joseph's Housing Association and political representatives met with the Housing Executive for an update on the demolition plans.
Gerard Brophy, who lives on the sixth floor of Maeve House believes the Housing Executive should first focus on making each tower block more "liveable" for residents.
"In 2019, the Housing Executive said they were going to demolish the seven tower blocks. Six years on, and there has been no progress," he explained. "The tower blocks are financially crippling the Housing Executive. Maintenance costs are high.
"For years, we have been saying to the Housing Executive, let’s work on the tower blocks from the outside in, get the cladding and get rid of Economy Seven. Get a cheaper heating system in because there won’t be so much damp, get new electrics then move on to the kitchens and bathrooms.
Eithne House and Maeve House in the New Lodge
"There is no security either in the tower blocks. Every camera is down.
"In a perfect world, yes we would like to see the back of them but it is not as simple as that like the Housing Executive make it out to be. The Housing Executive should instead invest in making each and every flat in the tower blocks liveable for the residents."
Liam Wiggins is a resident in Eithne House.
"For me, the tower blocks will never come down and my opinion has not changed following the meeting with the Housing Executive," he added. "The Housing Executive insisted that they are coming down. They have never ever said where they are going to put the residents? The housing waiting list is already through the roof.
"They need to come out and admit they made a mistake. Their plan is simply not working."
A Housing Executive spokesperson said: “We met with political and community representatives from North Belfast recently to discuss a range of issues, including our Tower Block strategy.
“We had a positive meeting, where we updated the representatives on the ongoing delivery of the strategy and have committed to do so again in future.”
