SDLP South Down MLA Sean Rogers has urged the Housing Executive to make an urgent decision on the future of a number of badly fire damaged properties in Newcastle’s Bracken Avenue.
Mr Rogers said: “The fact that local people have been left to cope with the sight of boarded up houses since last November is bad enough but there are increasing fears that unless the issue is properly tackled, those properties could pose a health and safety threat to young people in the area or attract anti social behaviour.
“There needs to be a clear public commitment made by the housing authorities over its future plans for the damaged properties.
“The feedback that my office in Newcastle has received from people living in the area is that if there is to be any redevelopment carried out those plans should not include the building of flats.
That type of development is not one that local residents are in favour of continuing with and those views must be respected.”
However, Mr Rogers warned that any internal politics within the NI Housing Executive should not be used as a reason to delay delivery of its responsibilities to the Newcastle community.
Mr Rogers added that it was his understanding that there was continuing debate within the organisation over which sector of its overall budget should pay for any rebuilding project, and he added: “Whatever the reasons, it is totally unacceptable for the situation to have been left unresolved for six months.
“While those displaced by the knock-on impact of the arson attack have now been rehoused, the fact is that those left in Bracken Avenue still have to wake up every morning at look at the impact of the destruction of those properties.
“It is both a depressing and dangerous situation and I would urge the Housing Executive to sort it out urgently.
“If this mess is allowed to drag on as it has without any clear plan of action people are going to continue to suffer unfairly.”
