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NIHE starts work on first development in more than 20 years
The Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) has started construction on a residential development for the first time in more than 20 years.
Six semi-detached homes will be built at Sunningdale Gardens in north Belfast under the scheme.
In 2017, the NIHE announced that it had plans to start building new social homes again.
Between 1975 and 1996, it built more than 80,000 homes, but has not developed at any scale since 2001-02, when housing associations became the main providers of new social housing in the region.
As part of a new pilot, construction company Geda will build the six homes using modern methods of construction (MCC) and ultra-low energy building techniques, to Passive House standard, the authority said.
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Grainia Long, chief executive of the NIHE, said: “We are very excited to see work begin on these modern homes, which we hope will offer a blueprint for the future of social housing.
“We are not just building new homes for our tenants for the first time in a generation.
“We are building future-proofed homes that will be constructed to a standard beyond that of current building regulations in Northern Ireland.
“Making sure our tenants have homes that are safe, warm and dry is always our priority, and this pilot pairs that with our commitment to reaching net zero.”
She said the ultra-low energy building methods being used “will mean our tenants benefit from improved energy efficiency and a reduction in carbon emissions, lower heating bills, savings from reduced fuel costs and more comfortable homes”.
“This pilot will also give us the opportunity to explore the practicalities of returning to building homes as part of the revitalisation of our organisation,” she said.
Ms Long added: “It is important for us, as the strategic housing authority for Northern Ireland, to influence the future of social housing and reimagine what estates and housing developments could look like.
“This scheme will help us to investigate how modern methods of construction can be utilised to deliver much-needed homes within a faster time frame, to a higher level of fabric performance, and explore ways to drive down costs in comparison with traditional construction methods.”
Damian Murray, construction partner at Geda, said: “Geda Construction, as prominent social housing builders, are delighted to be involved in this pilot scheme that builds on our long-standing eco credentials.
“Bringing Passive House standards to social housing helps tackle the fuel-poverty crisis and aligns perfectly with our net-zero ambitions.”
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