Northern Ireland landlord hands over first phase of £23.6m housing scheme in Strabane
A housing association in Northern Ireland has handed over 28 new homes to tenants as part of a £23.6m integrated housing development in Strabane.
The apartments, family homes and accessible housing represent the first phase of Beechmount, a village being delivered on the former Adria factory site by Woven housing association.
In total, the landlord will provide over 150 much-needed new homes as part of the scheme.
At almost 50,000 households, the waiting list for social housing in Northern Ireland is at an all-time high.
Of this figure, 6,000 households are on the waiting list in the Derry and Strabane council area.
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Woven plans to invest over £63m across this region as part of a £150m plan that includes grant funding from the Department for Communities (DfC) for new developments, stock upgrades and enhanced housing services over the next five years.
Jason Hardy, head of development at Woven, said: “The former Adria site on Beechmount Avenue had been vacant for more than 15 years and holds a long history with the people of Strabane.
“Our aim, from the concept and design stage, was to bring new life back into the area, creating a new modern community for the families of Strabane to live and thrive. The new Beechmount Village scheme has been designed to meet the needs of our tenants.
“It will include high-quality open space and landscaping and, once completed, a play park. This is a massive improvement for the local area and we’re delighted to welcome the first tenants to their new homes.”
Woven will work alongside its main contractor, the Kevin Watson Group, to deliver the new development.
Darren Guy, deputy mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, said: “I was pleased to attend the official handover of the first phase of Beechmount Village in Strabane.
“This mixed-use housing and employment development on the former Adria factory site is a fantastic addition to the existing housing offering in the area and will be widely welcomed by home seekers in the local community.”
Over the next five years, Woven has committed to building more than 380 homes across the north west, including Beechmount Village, as well as improving the quality of its current homes and services across the district.
The number of planning applications received in Northern Ireland dropped by 11% in the past year, according to the latest government data.
According to the annual Northern Ireland planning statistics bulletin, published by the DfC this month, 10,025 planning applications were received during 2023-24, compared with 11,217 the previous financial year.
The applications were made up of 9,870 local, 154 major and one regionally significant application.
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