Victoria Square apartments row: Pensioner accuses Belfast City Council of 'lacking empathy' over his rates bill

They have been unable to live in their apartments since or rent or sell them. However they are still paying maintenance, rates and in some cases mortgages.

Last week they lost a bid for compensation in the High Court as they had passed the six-year legal limit for such cases to be heard.

The companies who built the complex - Farrans Construction, Gilbert & Ash and architects Building Design Partnership (BDP) strongly deny any liability.

The News Letter asked Belfast City Council if it was true - as had been reported - that it had not inspected the building for five years, and whether it was safe for the public to be in the vicinity of them.

The council responded that it had followed all its legal requirements at all times throughout its dealings with the complex.

“Both the Building Regulations (NI) 2012 and, previously, Building Regulations (NI) 2000, require NI councils to carry out enforcement of standards which apply during the design and construction of a building," a spokeswoman said.

"This legislation also makes it clear that the ultimate responsibility for compliance with the regulations lies with those who own, carry out, control or design the construction works.”

The council inspected the site regularly during construction and did not find any problems, issuing a certificate of completion in 2008.

After a certificate has been issued, councils have no power to review either residential or commercial properties, she said.

However, under the Public Health Amendment Act 1907 they can inspect if there may be a risk to pedestrians, which the council did in 2019, finding no issues.

Residents asked the council to investigate after being evacuated in 2019 but it found no risk to residents.

The council also inspected remedial works undertaken by the building owners and management company in 2019.

It has not received any information since to suggest further are required, she added.

However apartment owner pensioner Patrick McKeague said he was unimpressed by the council’s handling of the matter.

"I just see this explanation as typical legal jargon," he said of the council's handling of the situation. "The whole idea of these government bodies is that they have got to stick to certain procedural standards and that's it.

"But the human element doesn't really come into it sometimes, and I think that is what's lacking."

Facing an annual rates bill of over £1000 for the apartment he could not use, he met a council official two years ago to ask for written confirmation that he could not use the apartment.

He wished to present this to Land and Property Services to exempt him from rates bills.

"But when I met him, the council official just said to me: 'Well, we didn't ask you to leave, so why should we give you a lot of authority?'

"There was just no human empathy whatsoever," Patrick added.

A spokeswoman for the council declined to comment on his allegation and directed enquiries on rates to Land and Property Services.