Tower block demolition plans queried amid 'chronic' need for social housing

Speaking at a recent meeting of Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, UUP Councillor Robert Foster asked officials if it was a “folly” to include a demolition proposal “given the level of need”.

Cllr Foster highlighted a “crisis” facing social housing across the borough stating that Monkscoole House, Newtownabbey, was demolished in 2023 and three years later, nothing has been built on the site.

He went on to say that the planned demolition of Abbotscoole House, also in Newtownabbey, is included in the Housing Executive’s list for planned demolition and asked if this was a “folly” going forward.

“We have a big waiting list of people. I do not see how you can keep that in. Monkscoole was demolished in 2023. Three years later, nothing built on it and no plan to build on it until Abbotscoole goes,” Cllr Foster said.

A presentation at the meeting by Housing Executive officials showed that there were 3,590 applicants on the social housing waiting list in Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough. Of these, 2,854 were in housing stress on March 31 with single and small family households comprising 71% of the housing stress waiting list locally.

The proposed demolition of the Abbotscoole tower block and the construction of new social housing on the site was submitted to the Department for Communities by the Housing Executive in December 2024.

Cllr Foster continued: “Your target of housing for 2035, you are nowhere close to meeting it, There is no recovery plan for the amount of units you have forecast to build. You have built 126 last year. By 2035, you are going to show a deficit of 35 per cent. I don’t see a recovery plan and how you plan to get to the 2035 target.

“It is critical for people in this borough who need social housing that these figures are achievable and they are not pie in the sky.”

The Housing Executive report indicated that there were 325 new Housing Association units under construction in the borough in March. Of these, 176 commenced on-site during 2025/26with a further 582 planned to start in the next three years. The total investment in new-build social housing starts delivered during the last financial year was £42m.

The Housing Executive says the projected five-year social housing need in the borough for the period 2025-2030 is 1,622 homes, including 1,553 in urban areas and 69 in rural areas. A total of 392 are needed in Antrim Town and 855 in Urban Newtownabbey. Councillors were told that 1,137 people presented as homeless in the borough during 2025/26,

In other areas of the borough, the Housing Executive has estimated the social housing new-build requirement until 2030 to be: Whiteabbey, 90; Ballyclare, 97; Ballynure, five; Crumlin, 126; Doagh, 11; Parkgate/Templepatrick, 34; Randalstown, 83; Toomebridge, 19.

Andy Kennedy, assistant director for asset strategy, replied that the Housing Executive has a business case for Abbotscoole with the Department and is “discussing with the Department how that is going to go”.

“The issue why there has been no development on the Monkscoole site, to date, is there is a put back to combine the two sites at Monkscoole and Abbotscoole which would give us a much better return on the amount of new build we get back on that site,” he explained.

Cllr Foster asked when the Housing Executive would “get an answer”.

“Your budget would be better spent. Instead of putting people in hotels and guesthouses up and down the country, in making conditions habitable and good for people to move into in their own area, so I don’t see how you can do that. Do you have any indication when this will be moving forward?”

Mr Kennedy said: “At present, we have a couple of studies that have been commissioned to try and ascertain more details about the likely investment that is going to be required for the tower blocks. ”

He indicated that the Housing Executive is looking at the findings of a draft report on a stock condition survey and looking at fire risk and structural assessments for the remaining tower blocks across the organisation’s portfolio, not just those in Rathcoole or the council area.

“Hopefully, we will get a better idea in a few months time of the likely total investment requirements. The cost required to keep a tower block is extremely high and given our budget and funding situation, it is something we would need to look at very closely.”

DUP Councillor Matthew Brady said that he and his colleagues are “big advocates” for using multi-storey blocks for temporary accommodation.

“I know some are used but whenever we are seeing vulnerable families being pushed into friends’ and families’ homes and overcrowding situations, I am just trying to understand why we couldn’t open our minds to that while the buildings are still there and the business case is awaiting approval.”

Councillor Brady also asked about the plan for tenants and lease-holders within the multi-storey.

Mr Kennedy replied that the Housing Executive would be consulting all the residents of the block whether they are tenants, lease-holders or owners, if demolition is approved.

Noting the number of elderly residents, Cllr Brady added: “I understand, ultimately, you have a job to do. However, we have to think there are people at the end of this.”