Demolition of tower blocks held up by asbestos surveys and telecoms mast

Rathmoyne and Coolmoyne House were cleared of all tenants in February and are due to be pulled down in a NIHE £308m Tower Block Action Plan, aimed at replacing ageing tower blocks with new homes. CEO of the NIHE, Grainia Long was scrutinised in Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council (LCCC) chambers this week over the demolition delay as an elected rep raised his fears for homeless people sheltering in cold weather conditions. DUP councillor Jonathan Craig said: “I am sure you are fed up of me asking this question, but when are the two tower blocks going to come down at the front of Seymour Hill? “It is starting to cause problems. I don’t know if the Executive is aware, but there are individuals now sleeping outside those buildings in the open, homeless people, because the site isn’t secured. “I would hope that the NIHE would be trying to find some form of temporary accommodation for them since the temperatures are now dropping.” Ms Long responded:”Coolmoyne and Rathmoyne are both priorities for us. Both are on the future programme of schemes and we know it is a really important site. “Anybody who physically needs our assistance, who we are not aware of, we can follow up on that.” A NIHE officer added: “As regards the two tower blocks, we are currently working on the tender document for the demolition contract. It was slowed down a little bit, because we had to carry out more asbestos surveys. “We would anticipate appointing a contractor at some time around February/March at which point we will start to take them down. “I think it is important to realise that we probably won’t be taking both down at the same time, but will be phased and it will probably be Coolmoyne first. “The reason for that is we have a telecoms mast on Rathmoyne and we are still in legal proceedings about the removal of that mast.”