Army Base Housing Plan Hits 'Robinson Wall'

Plans to build hundreds of homes on a north Belfast former military base, at Girdwood have seemingly hit a wall, just days after being announced, writes James Gracey.

Earlier in the week, the Stormont Minister for Social Development, Alex Attwood, unveiled plans for 200 homes on the site beside the Crumlin Road gaol in north Belfast.

The £20m investment was set to be one of the biggest new social and affordable housing developments in Northern Ireland in recent years.

However, a terse statement issued from the Stormont Executive First Minister, Peter Robinson, has slammed the plans, branding them "doomed" from the outset and accusing his 'under-fire' Executive colleague, Alex Attwood (pictured) of "electioneering" and "misrepresenting the First Minister".

That's despite the SDLP Minister's original comments when a press statement said: "This will be a tremendous housing boost for the people of north Belfast. My predecessor has already announced a £38m investment to transform the quality of homes in north Belfast.

"Windows and washing lines replacing watchtowers and sangers offers a much brighter future for everyone in the area."

Minister Attwood also revealed that the Apex Procurement Group had already produced designs and a proposed lay-out for the new homes.

He also said that his party leader - the former Department for Social Development (DSD) Minister, Margaret Ritchie - had already instructed the NI Housing Executive to appoint a housing association to begin working on the development.

Responding within hours, Peter Robinson commented: "Alex Atwood has moved from blatant electioneering with the Girdwood development to now deliberately misrepresenting the role of First Minister."

He said that the Office of First & Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) did not approve the statement released by the DSD Minister regarding the Girdwood development.

"The mere fact that the EIS (Government press office) has issued a press release on behalf of an Executive Minister does not suggest in any way OFMDFM approval of the contents of that press release.

"A more experienced Minister would perhaps better understand the nature of Executive communications and be less inclined to suggest government by sound-bite," he fumed, noting that the DUP's position on the development of Girdwood was well articulated on Monday by our North Belfast MP and MLAs.

"Under paragraph 2.4 of the Ministerial Code this scheme will require Executive approval and therefore the consent of the DUP.

"Alex Atwood's solo run on this issue is not going to satisfy either of those conditions. I deplore the waste of resources that a consultation on this doomed scheme will entail," he said.

"Developments of this type in shared space require cross-community support as we work at building a shared society."

Since they were announced, the plans to develop Girdwood former military base have met with an eclectic response from parties who can't seem to agree on them.

They were slammed as "cynical" by Peter Robinson's party colleague and DUP Deputy Leader, Nigel Dodds, who also said the DSD Minister cannot turn them into reality without the agreement of the Executive.

Westminster MP Niegl Dodds commented: "The former Girdwood barracks site is a key interface location in north Belfast which is being advanced through an inter-community master-planning process under OFMDFM and DSD.

"Given that the development will be cross-cutting and significant it will also be subject to approval from the Assembly Executive.

"For Minister Attwood to ignore all of this and to announce consultation on an unapproved plan for 200 social houses on the site is totally reckless and contrary to the agreed process. It could be ignored if it were not so deeply destabilising for local community relations," he said.

However, Sinn Fein welcomed the announcement, but was concerned about when construction on the site would begin and finish.

North Belfast MLA Gerry Kelly commented: "If Alex Attwood is not simply electioneering then we need to know when exactly the housing development at Girdwood will begin and be completed."

The controversy comes just after arrangements for passing on the ownership of former military sites to the NI Executive that were identified under the Hillsborough Agreement were confirmed.

The handing over of sites such as the ex-RAF Shackleton base at Ballykelly are part of a 'gifting' deal, reached by Stormont First Minister, Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.

(JG)