Belfast social housing approved despite NIHE’s fears it could set precedent for single tenure schemes

According to the planning application, the decision for Havelock House to be fully social housing was taken in consultation with Clanmil in a bid to address the “unprecedented demand” in the local area.

The single tenure was balanced out by its proposed mix in types of social housing, including general needs homes, wheelchair-accessible apartments and homes for the over-55s, the application documents said.

But in an objection letter lodged with the council, the NIHE’s strategic director Elma Newberry said the “mono-tenure scheme" ran contrary to local development plan policies on mixed communities.

The Belfast Local Development Plan calls for affordable housing to be an “integral part of mixed tenure development, integrated with general needs housing, and should include an appropriate mix in terms of size, type and tenure”.

The NIHE pointed to research showing that social stock in the area is higher than the Belfast average (35% compared with 26%) while the average percentage of owner-occupied homes is lower (19.9% compared to a Belfast average of 51%).

“The ambition to increase city centre living will only be successful with a mixed tenure approach rather than large mono-tenure developments,” the NIHE concluded.

In an email chain from March, published online under the Environmental Information Regulations Act, Ms Newberry wrote to the DfI to explain that the NIHE intends to request a call-in of the scheme’s approval.

“We have formally submitted our objections as we require a mix of social and affordable homes as part of our approach to [mixing] tenure to build sustainable communities,” the email reads.

“The decision to approve all social on the site has a wider implication regionally and across Belfast as this sets a precedent for other sites,” it adds.

However, the DfI later decided the circumstances of the case were not “exceptional such as to warrant the use of... call-in powers”.

Despite this, DfI chief planner and director Rosemary Daly recommended the council review the implementation of its own policy on housing mix. This was in light of several mono-tenure schemes being approved in Belfast.

“It is advised that Belfast City Council engages closely with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive on the issue of housing need and on promoting mixed tenure developments, which are key to supporting sustainable development,” Ms Daly said.

Havelock House was demolished earlier this year following its sale to Lotus Property. A former linen warehouse, it later became the headquarters and studio of the television station Ulster TV, which relocated to Belfast Harbour in 2018.

A spokesperson for Clanmil said: “Northern Ireland is in the midst of a housing crisis, with social housing waiting lists at c49,000 – the highest they have been in 10 years.

"At Clanmil, we are committed to helping address this urgent housing need and, to that end, we are currently working with Lotus Property to deliver 104 much needed homes in Belfast, which is the area of highest housing need in Northern Ireland.

"We note the NIHE’s position and are continuing to engage constructively with them and with all parties who have an interest in meeting the significant housing need in this area.”

Caroline Connor, head of strategic housing authority at the NIHE, said: “Given the significant pressures across the housing system, it is essential to see supply brought forward across all tenures if the considerable housing challenges we face are to be successfully addressed.

“Our previous correspondence on this application reflected concerns about the proposed development being 100% social housing, which we [thought] would lead to a mono-tenure outcome and could set a precedent for similar schemes across Belfast and the wider region.

“While we note Belfast City Council has now approved the scheme, the case remains live and we will continue to engage constructively with all parties to ensure housing delivery aligns with strategic objectives.”

A Belfast City Council spokesperson said: “In granting planning permission, council had regard to the Local Development Plan, relevant planning policies and material considerations. It took account of the significant unmet need for social housing in this part of the city.

“Each and every application is judged on its merits and the individual circumstances of the case.”